i can make the bad guys good for a weekend
by soy milk carton
Summary: Kuroko Tetsuya definitely did not bargain on the fact that his 'special guest' for the summer would be a bratty and spoiled Akashi Seijuro who complains about the terrible WiFi and is just about the biggest jerk ever. And unfortunately, way hotter than any asshole had the right to be.
1. everybody here wanted something more

Kuroko was one hundred and ten percent sure that if he had to spend another minute in the presence of Akashi Seijuro, he'd lose it. _Some people,_ he decides, _were born to step on each and every one of your nerves._ And Akashi Seijuro was definitely one of them. It had been around five hours since Akashi had arrived at the Kuroko family's quaint country house with all his arrogance and ego packed along with his suitcases. Kuroko groans and glances at the calendar, mentally counting down the number of days left in Akashi's stay.

Eighty nine more days until Akashi would leave. Two thousand one hundred thirty six hours. In front of him Akashi tapped at the screen of his expensive smartphone; something Kuroko would have to sell his soul for to even consider buying. He doesn't try to make small talk and the redhead makes no indication that he had any plans to be talking to Kuroko any time soon. Kuroko sunk into the couch, leaning back as he played idly with the hem of his shirt, chanting _'eighty nine more days'_ in his head.

He was definitely going to go insane.

* * *

"We're hosting a special guest for the summer!" his mother had announced excitedly in the middle of dinner a week ago. "He's the same age as you, too, Tecchan! Oh, I know it gets lonely in the country during summers when there's no school so I bet you're looking forward to have a new face around for the vacation!"

"What's his name?" Kuroko asks, a small smile twitching at his lips. Even with his usual stoic facade, he couldn't quell his excitement. A new friend! And from the city, nonetheless. Kuroko himself had never been particularly fond of the city, remembering with a shudder, his visits to his relatives and the time when his parents had considered sending him to school in the city. How ten year old him had sat in the car, watching the country roll by and the windmills and barns slowly being replaced and in it's stead: skyscrapers and traffic lights and crowded paved sidewalks, so unlike the dirt roads he had grown up walking on. He had felt awkward and boorish, watching the other kids play from the corner of the room. The other kids took no notice of the soft spoken boy with little presence in the back of the room either and he had begged his parents to let him quit after a week. After that, they had compromised and sent Kuroko to a school that met halfway between the empty country and the busy city.

He never could get used to the smog and the smoke, the honking of cars or the constantly bustling of people on the streets. His preference would always be the quiet countryside where crickets sang him to sleep instead of car horns and he could breathe the crisp morning air without hacking out a lung.

"Akashi Seijuro," Kuroko's mother replies. "He comes from a distinguished family, too! His father wanted his son to be able to experience the country life. Imagine that! Someone like him coming to pay our humble abode a visit."

"Akashi Seijuro?" his father says from the couch, looking up from the newspaper. "You can't possibly mean the son of Akashi Masaomi?"

"That's him!" his mother says and his father whistles, clearly impressed. Kuroko remembers vaguely hearing the name Akashi before, though he couldn't quite recall where. The paper, perhaps, or rather the paper boy himself who had always liked to tell whoever had the time to listen what the headlines in the paper were, reciting them with a toothy grin. Ogiwara was like that, and Kuroko's closest - and only friend in the countryside. And yet even then, Ogiwara lived over the rolling hills, an inconvenient distance away. He only really came on the weekday mornings when he was required to deliver the paper. Having a new face around would be more than appreciated.

"I hope the two of you get along!" his mom gushes, wrapping an arm around Kuroko and squeezing his shoulders.

"I hope so too, mom," Kuroko smiles. "When is he coming?"

"In a week," his mother beams, glad to see her son's enthusiasm. "You do know what that means, right? We have to clean up this house and make sure it's immaculate!"

* * *

So Kuroko had suffered through a week of back breaking, labor intensive work, cleaning the entire house by himself. His father was gone for work during the day and his mother had told him that _'he was old enough to take responsibility'_ to which he complained she was simply too lazy to do it herself. His only solace was the fact Akashi would be arriving soon and Kuroko would have finally have another friend to hang out around in the summer. Later, he had dug through their bin of old newspaper in the closet and pulled out one with an article announcing how the Akashi Conglomerate had bought two companies in succession. He flipped through the pages eagerly, but there was no mention of the younger Akashi's name, only talk of business and economics which Kuroko couldn't bother to comprehend.

On the day when Akashi was supposed to arrive, Kuroko sat in the living room eagerly, not quite concentrating on his novel and instead peaking out the window every few minutes to see when a car would pull up by their driveway or straining to hear footsteps approach the door. What seemed like hours later, a sleek black limo had finally pulled up in front of their house and Kuroko casts his novel away in excitement, craning his head to see if he could catch a glimpse of Akashi.

The doorbell chimes and Kuroko jumps up from the couch, racing down the hall where he opened the door to see a redhead boy about his height standing on the porch, a butler carrying two large suitcases staggering up the driveway behind him. Akashi Seijuro had tousled crimson hair, sunglasses resting on his head and a smartphone in his hand. He was wearing a gray v-neck t-shirt with black skinny jeans. Kuroko gulps. _Oh no,_ he thinks inwardly, biting his lip. _He's hot._

"Hello! I'm Kuroko Tetsuya," Kuroko smiles, holding his hand out to Akashi. The latter glances at Kuroko's hand before averting his gaze back to the blue haired boy, not bothering to shake Kuroko's hand.

"The WiFi here is shit," Akashi announces bluntly and Kuroko blinks dumbly, staring at Akashi. Was he serious? That was the first thing he said? No hello, no greeting, no smile? To say Kuroko was disappointed would be an understatement.

"Uh yeah," Kuroko laughs nervously. "It's better inside the house but it's not too good...we are in the country after all.." he trails off as he realizes that Akashi wasn't listening, instead craning his head to call out to his butler, instructing him to drop the suitcases on the porch before bidding him farewell.

"Whatever," Akashi grumbles. "So are you going to make me wait out here all day or...?"

"Oh! Sorry," Kuroko says. He steps aside to let Akashi into the house. The redhead hadn't even bothered to pick up his suitcases and the limo had rolled out of sight so Kuroko guesses that Akashi had intended for him to carry the suitcases. How rude, Kuroko thinks in annoyance. He picks up one of the suitcases and nearly stumbles backwards, surprised at how heavy it was. Why did Akashi even pack so much? With much struggle and grunting, Kuroko managed to haul to the suitcases into the house. He'd get his dad to take it upstairs, later.

Akashi was sitting on the couch without invitation, idly scrolling through his phone before Kuroko coughed politely, catching his attention.

"Yes?" Akashi sighs, not even bothering to turn his head around to face Kuroko.

"If you want, I'll show you to your room. Or rather, our room, since we'll be sharing," Kuroko offers and Akashi shrugs, getting up and brushing the nonexistent dust off his jeans. Kuroko would know. He spent hours cleaning the stains off that couch and he was beginning to think that Akashi Seijuro had not been worth the work.

He leads Akashi upstairs and shows him to his room. Their house was absent of an extra guest room and in the end, they had moved the extra bed from the master bedroom into Kuroko's own room, the bed situated in the opposite corner of the room. Akashi wrinkles his nose when he steps inside the room, looking around disdainfully.

"It's so...small," Akashi mutters under his breath, plopping down on the bed. Kuroko frowns at this. It became immediate to him that coming from a rich family had made Akashi a spoiled brat in the process. He reminded Kuroko of every reason why he hated the city: full of money, pretentious, too attached to technology and too disdainful.

"Would you like to do something?" Kuroko asks, still trying to play as nice as possible. Considering how long Akashi would be staying, getting on the redhead's bad side the first day of his arrival would only serve to create problems.

"Not really," Akashi replies with dismal interest, eyes still glued to the screen. Kuroko furrows his brow in annoyance; the task of being conciliatory towards Akashi Seijuro seemed to grow harder and harder as Akashi persisted on being a stubborn nuisance."But I guess you could show me around the house."

"Sounds good," Kuroko says in relief. Akashi stands up reluctantly and stuffs his phone into the back pocket of his jeans before removing his sunglasses and placing them on the desk in the room.

Kuroko leads Akashi downstairs and shows him the kitchen, the living room, and the study. Akashi's interest peaks a little when he notices the old piano in the corner of the living room. So he plays, huh? Kuroko muses. It was nothing spectacular: merely a simple piano that his grandmother had owned, a faded piano cover draped carefully over the instrument. Kuroko used to play a bit when he was little, teaching himself how to read the notes from an old music book he had found in the study. Sometimes his mother would sit down with him and tap out tunes like 'Twinkle Twinkle Little Star' and 'Mary Had A Little Lamb' with him, but it had now grown dusty and out of tune through years of disuse. Akashi says nothing about the den, though Kuroko can see his eyes light up, even if just by a fraction, at the amount of books crammed into the shelves of the study. Perhaps he's not all about his phone, after all, Kuroko thinks as Akashi runs a finger over the spines of the old books, tilting his head to the side slightly to read the titles. If Akashi enjoyed reading, that was at least one interest they shared.

"We don't have much here," Kuroko confesses as they leave the study.

"I can see that," Akashi drawls and Kuroko found himself liking Akashi less and less by the second. He takes a deep breath in irritation, trying to calm himself down before sliding the glass back door open to the large backyard. A small barn sat at the far end, next to an oak tree with an old tire swing Kuroko's dad had hung up for Kuroko when he was five. A porch swing next to the door on the porch swung back and forth in the quiet breeze and his mother's favorite windchimes tinkle above.

"A barn," Akashi states flatly, wholly unimpressed. Kuroko ignores him and leads Akashi across the large backyard to the barn. He pushes the old double doors open and pretends not to notice Akashi's lip curling in disgust at the ratty doors with faded paint and accumulated dust giving way to reveal an old, musty barn.

"I can't believe father dropped me on this stupid _farm_ for three months," Akashi sniffs in disdain, crossing his arms.

"Mom, Akashi is here," Kuroko calls, peering into the barn. His mother, at the other side of the barn near the stables, turns away from feeding the horses and brightens at the sight of Akashi.

"Ah! You must be Akashi Seijuro! I'm Kuroko's mom, of course. Kuroko Asako," she beams, dropping the bale of hale in her arms and walking over, wiping her hands on her jeans. "I'd give you a hug but it's not quite hygienic after spending time in the barn," she chuckles.

"It's nice to meet you too, Kuroko-san," Akashi says with a winsome smile. "And I understand completely. I have a horse of my own, actually..." he says, gaze softening as it travelled over the two whinnying horses in the stables. _What the hell?_ Kuroko gapes, staring at Akashi's total one eighty in change of personality. So he was the kind of guy who knew how to kiss up to adults...or perhaps he was only this much of an asshole to Kuroko.

"It's not much here, but we hope that you enjoy your stay regardless," Kuroko's mom continues.

"I hope that I enjoy it too, Kuroko-san," Akashi says, his smile never wavering once. Kuroko wants to slap that smile clean off his face.

"Are you hungry, Akashi-kun? I could make something for a snack if you wanted," Kuroko's mom asks and Akashi shakes his head.

"I'll be fine until dinner," Akashi says, declining politely. "There's no need to worry about me, Kuroko-san."

"How polite!" Kuroko's mom marvels, flashing them a big smile and bidding them goodbye, returning to the horses.

"Do you actually have a horse?" Kuroko asks incredulously after they left the barn. He doesn't know what someone who lived in the city would even do with a horse to begin with, but considering Akashi's wealth, it didn't seem so surprising anymore. Akashi nods slowly as if it was only obvious and everyone in the city owned horses. _There's no need to treat me like I'm an idiot,_ Kuroko thinks in irritation. He considers asking more about Akashi's horse but the redhead had already started walking away again, leaving Kuroko to jog to catch up to him.

"Is there anything else to do around here?" Akashi says, his brow furrowing. "The internet connection is abysmal, the house is small and there's nothing but wild grass for miles. The only redeeming quality is the fact you own horses. Am I allowed to ride one, sometime?"

"If you stop being a total ass, then yeah," Kuroko hisses under his breath.

"What was that?" he asks, narrowing his eyes and Kuroko sneers in response. "I didn't ask to be dropped here for the summer. I had other plans," Akashi snaps.

"Well you're stuck here now," Kuroko retorts. "So why don't you at least try to get along? What's someone as wealthy as you doing in the countryside for the summer anyways?"

Akashi looks away, muttering an incoherent response. "...discipline me...or deflate my head or something" is all Kuroko picks up and he smirks in understanding.

"You got sent here because you were acting too stuck up," Kuroko concludes, tauntingly. "Your father wanted you to live a modest life for a few months, didn't he?"

"Shut up," Akashi growls, sliding the back door open with more force than necessary. "I could have been dropped in any other house in the country but I had to end up with someone as miserable as yourself."

"You're no walk in the park either," Kuroko spits back. He feels his chest burn in anger at Akashi's words. He wasn't surprised that Akashi's father had sent his pissy, spoiled son who couldn't live without internet to 'brave it out' in the countryside for a few months.

"I don't care what you think of me," Akashi says, rolling his eyes. "After these three months drag by, I'll be back in the city without a second thought about the countryside, much less about you. I won't even remember the name Kuroko Tetsuya, and hell, it's not like I want too anyways."

* * *

The two of them were now sitting in the living room, Akashi on one side and Kuroko on the other. _What was his problem anyways?_ Kuroko grouses inwardly, thumbing through pages of his novel. He couldn't bring himself to concentrate on the novel; his head filled with thoughts about how much he'd enjoy punching the smug expression right off Akashi's face. The main character of the novel was a city boy too. He didn't own a horse and didn't act like he had a crown on his head and a cape on a shoulders. Kuroko wonders why Akashi couldn't have been like this boy instead. Then perhaps, he could have made a friend. The ticking second hand on the old grandfather clock across from Kuroko only seem to grow louder as the second drags by. He's all but counting down the number of seconds left until Akashi Seijuro would be gone from his life forever. Seven million six hundred eighty nine thousand and six hundred seconds left.

Seven million six hundred eighty nine thousand five hundred and ninety nine seconds left.

Seven million six hundred eighty nine thousand five hundred and ninety eight seconds left.

Seven million six hundred eighty nine-

The front door unlocks and the jangling sound of keys interrupt Kuroko from his countdown. He turns around to see his father step into the house, hanging his jacket on the coat hanger, beaming as he saw Akashi situated on the armchair.

"Ah, you must be Akashi Seijuro!" Kuroko's father greets.

"That I am," Akashi says pleasantly, looking up from his phone. "I am thankful that you were kind enough to host me for a couple of months."

It took every ounce of self control in Kuroko not to fling his novel straight at Akashi's head and knock the living daylights out of him. How could anyone be this two-faced? His father, unfortunately, just like his mother, had fallen for the act, completely taken by Akashi's charm. Hook, line, and sinker, Kuroko thinks sourly as Akashi gets up to shake Kuroko's dad's hand, the latter patting Akashi on the back cheerfully. Kuroko's dad picks up the suitcases still sitting by the hall and hauled them upstairs, Akashi turning around and walk back to sink into the armchair.

"I can see right through you," Kuroko says, grinding his teeth in annoyance. "Your act isn't going to last forever."

"How are you so sure my manners are only an act, hmm, _Tetsuya_?" Akashi replies airily, a challenging tone behind his words. His words only serve to fuel Kuroko's growing resentment towards the redhead.

"Don't call me Tetsuya," Kuroko snaps. "And I just do. You're one of those people who are all for show."

There's a moment of silence, the two of them glaring at each other from across the room.

"Don't," Akashi says coldly "don't act like you _know_ me. Don't act like someone like _you_ will ever understand me."

"Fine by me," Kuroko snorts. "Jerks aren't my type anyways."

 **A/N: crossposted on AO3**


	2. this is gonna take me down

"You own an impressively dingy wardrobe selection," Akashi comments, surveying Kuroko's closet with contempt. After Kuroko's dad had dropped Akashi's suitcases in his room, the two of them had been forced into Kuroko's room to unpack Akashi's things. When Akashi had asked where he should hang his alarmingly large number of clothes, Kuroko had grudgingly offered his own closet, suggesting that they split the space in half. Now, after closer observation, he didn't think that half of his tiny closet would fit even half of Akashi's clothes.

"Shut it, Akashit," Kuroko snaps, snatching one of Akashi's shirts from his suitcase and fitting it over a hanger before hanging it on the right side of his closet. The process repeats, Kuroko muttering curses under his breath as he hangs more and more of Akashi's ridiculously expensive clothing. He's right about the clothes not fitting. There's still a half suitcase full of clothes and three fourths of Kuroko's closet was now occupied by Akashi's garments, his own cheap clothing shoved to the far end of the closet.

"Well, I guess it'll work for now," Akashi sniffs in disdain. Kuroko briefly considers the rewards and punishments of cutting holes in every single one of Akashi's shirts. It was very tempting.

"Lovely," Kuroko says, slamming the closet door shut.

"You shouldn't slam doors, Tetsuya," Akashi croons, pulling his phone out of his pocket, yet again. "People might think you're angry for no reason," he says, his voice syrupy as he feigns an innocent look. Kuroko distinctly remembers hearing Kagami tell him how much his "Ignite Pass Kai" hurt as a punch in a gut. He has absolutely no complaints about testing for the second time on Akashi. Scooping up his novel from the floor, he takes a deep breath, doing his best to keep his calm.

"I hope a car runs you over when you get back into the city," Kuroko snarls and Akashi has the audacity to feign a look of hurt at Kuroko's words.

"It wouldn't do any good to be rude to your guest," Akashi chides and that's when Kuroko snaps. He takes the novel in his hand and chucks it straight at Akashi's head. Akashi snaps his head up in surprise, but to Kuroko's utter annoyance, he catches the novel smoothly in his left hand, his phone still in his other hand, and looking completely unfazed. He tosses it back to Kuroko as if the original intent had been to play a friendly game of catch with Kuroko's novel.

"Nice catch," Akashi comments as Kuroko fumbles with the novel, ultimately dropping it and it lands on the floor, his receive devoid of the elegance Akashi had in his own. His face flushes red in embarassment and anger as he bends down to pick up his light novel, spitting out curses and ill wishes at Akashi, who only chuckles in response.

Kuroko's mom makes a huge dinner for the celebration of Akashi's arrival, although Kuroko doesn't see what there was to celebrate about. He had had dreams about meeting his new friend and the two of them getting along spectacularly, telling stories, staying up late, and Akashi had shattered all his hopes into a million tiny shards. _Screw him._ He and Akashi glare at each other from across the small dining table, Kuroko's parents chattering away and asking Akashi questions, all of which he answered flawlessly.

"How are you liking the country so far Akashi-kun?" his mother had asked.

"It's very different from the city, but it's nice," Akashi had replied. _Yeah, right,_ Kuroko sneers inwardly. _As if you aren't complaining every other minute of the day._

"If you have any complaints or something that's bothering you, just tell us," Kuroko's dad says.

"I'm sure there will be no hindrances," Akashi smiles and Kuroko screams _'BULLSHIT'_ in his head. He grips his spoon harder, nails digging into his palm. A thin, tight lipped smile is plastered on his face when his father asked him how things were going with Akashi. He can't fake a smile and small talk as easy as Akashi could and it's even harder when Akashi is staring at him smugly from across the table.

"Wonderful," he says, through clenched teeth. "Just _splendid_."

The sound of the chiming doorbell wakes Kuroko up from his slumber the next morning and he blearily sits up to rub the sleep out of his eyes, glancing at the alarm clock. Seven in the morning. He slid out of his bed in a haste, stumbling down the stairs and flinging the door open to be greeted by a smiling face that could rival the harsh sunlight. He shields his eyes and Ogiwara flashes his toothy grin, holding out the paper to Kuroko.

"Good morning, Kurokooooo," he sang, rocking back and forth on the balls of his feet. "So today for our headlines we have: a major car crash in the city, three cars in a row crashed into each other and the occupants are in the hospital, a new mayor candidate running for the position, and a small series of house robberies in which the culprit was quickly apprehended."

"Uhhhhh huh...," Kuroko yawns, not quite registering what Ogiwara said. Ogiwara showed no indication of being bothered by this, and instead laughs at Kuroko's sleepy state, ruffling his disheveled bed hair.

"You look beat," Ogiwara comments sympathetically, eyeing Kuroko up and down. "Something come up?"

"Oh, let me tell you," Kuroko says, blinking awake. After yesterday, he had been so ready to shit talk Akashi for hours to just about anyone would would listen. "I told you about my new guest from the city for the summer, right? Well his name's Akashi Seijuro-"

"- _Akashi?_ " Ogiwara asks incredulously. "Like the Akashi Conglomerate? The redheads that make the front page all the time?"

"Yeah," Kuroko grumbles. "Well, he's the most irritating, selfish, spoiled brat I've ever met and spending the entire summer with him is going to make me crazy. All he cares about is his phone. Ogiwara-kun, please save me. Please _take me away from here_ ," he begs.

"Woah woah," Ogiwara says, holding up his hands. "I'm sure he's not that bad."

"Tetsuya just likes to make things worse than they seem, it appears," a voice sounded from the stairs and Kuroko whips around to see Akashi standing there with crimson bedhead just as atrocious as Kuroko's own. Ogiwara cocks an eyebrow as he surveys Akashi and Kuroko scowls.

"So you're Akashi Seijuro," Ogiwara says in amusement, glancing back and forth from Akashi and Kuroko.

"That I am. Who are you, and why are you ringing the doorbell at seven in the morning?" Akashi frowns, crossing his arms, clearly perturbed about his sleep being interrupted. His unfriendly demeanor doesn't faze Ogiwara though, and he only laughs.

"I'm the paper boy. Me and Kuroko are friends but we live kind of far so the only way I can talk to him in person is really in the mornings," Ogiwara informs. "Would you care to hear today's headlines?"

"Not really," Akashi deadpans, his gaze travelling towards Kuroko. "Tetsuya? With friends? Imagine that," he says, curling his lip in derision and Kuroko bristles.

"Can you just shut up and leave?" Kuroko hisses out, pointing up the stairs. "You're absolutely insufferable."

"Yes, yes, I shall leave you and your boyfriend or friend or whatever, to be," Akashi dismisses, walking back up the stairs and Kuroko flushes red in embarrassment at his words.

"Woooow," Ogiwara whistles, looking back at Kuroko and placing a hand on his shoulder. "I take back what I said. I'm so sorry for what you have to deal with. He is an ass."

"See!?" Kuroko exclaims, throwing his hands up in the air. "How am I supposed to survive this with my sanity in tact?!"

"I can't help you there, buddy," Ogiwara says apologetically. He checks the time on his watch and yelps a bit when he sees that he's behind schedule. "Well, I gotta go now, cya Kuroko! Best of luck with Akashi!"

With that, he retreats back down the walkway to where his bike was parked and Kuroko wants to scream at Ogiwara for him not to leave him alone in hell with Akashi. Ogiwara pedals off, leaving Kuroko and he lets out a long sigh of resignation.

"What is it now, eighty eight days? Stay strong, Tetsuya," Kuroko mutters as he closes the door and walks back up the stairs to the bedroom.

* * *

The next day does nothing to relieve the tension between the two of them either. The tension is tangible at the dinner table and even Kuroko's parents seem uncomfortable with the two teenagers bickering, trying to assuage the situation to no avail.

"Is something wrong?" Kuroko's mom asks in concern and Kuroko shakes his head.

"Nothing at all," he lies and Akashi nods in agreement. Akashi seemed to have a remarkable talent of integrating insults aimed at Kuroko in his comments every time he opened his mouth. It was infurariating, to have the redhead mock his every movements. When Kuroko had dropped a plate in the sink and accidentally broke it whilst washing it, Akashi had snickered and offered to kiss his 'boo boo' better and didn't cease to remind Kuroko of his 'incompetence' for the rest of the day. When Kuroko had complained about being bored after finishing his novel, Akashi had voiced his 'sympathy' and advised Kuroko to try talking to some of his friends before snarkily adding _'oh wait, sorry, what friends?'._ Two of the same of that kind of insult had been a low blow and Kuroko had fumed out of the house, opting to sit on the tree swing for the next few hours instead of having to breathe the same air as Akashi. A part of him had hoped that the redhead would come to apologize but to nobody's surprise, none came.

He'd try to ease tensions between the two of them but Akashi had walls of steel built around himself. He refused to answer when Kuroko asked what his family was like back home, and had completely ignored Kuroko when he asked about his friends back in the city. If he gave any answers, they all came in the form of curt one or two word replies that Kuroko could find no way to spark a conversation from. After ten more minutes of complete silence between the two of them, Kuroko had sighed and walked back out of the room. _It was no good if only one person was trying,_ Kuroko thinks in annoyance.

At his parents insistence of the two of them spending more 'bonding' time together - Kuroko wants to puke when he thinks about the idea about spending more alone time with Akashi - the two quarreling teenagers had ended up on the porch swing in the backyard, sitting in silence, as far away from each other as possible on the swing as the sun began to set. Akashi had pulled out his phone again, the only thing he seemed to have remote interest in. Kuroko didn't bother trying to make small talk, instead flipping open a new novel and beginning to read.

When the sun had fully set and the oranges and reds in the sky had smeared together to turn to a dark navy, the wisps of clouds disappearing, Kuroko turned on the porch light, reading in the dim lighting.

"You'll ruin your eyes if you read with such poor lighting," Akashi's voice informs bossily, interrupting the silence. Kuroko ignores him and flips the page in his novel. "Fine. Don't say I didn't warn you, though."

Kuroko sighs and snaps his novel shut in compliance. Akashi hums smugly at this, relishing in the fact Kuroko had conceded he was right.

"What are you doing on your phone all the time, anyways?" Kuroko mumbles, kicking his shoes off and placing his feet on the porch swing. It rocks slowly and back forth from the gentle evening breeze

"Texting," Akashi replies nonchalantly. "At least, trying too, because the internet really is shit. Inside and outside the house."

"Your friends?" Kuroko asks, drawing his knees to his chest. It's not hard to see that Akashi would definitely be the popular kind of person at school, despite his nasty attitude. Kuroko himself had never had many friends - not many people lived on the country and even during school, people would fail to notice him with his ghostly presence. Summers and breaks were especially lonely.

"And girlfriend," Akashi adds. Kuroko hugs his knees closer, a pang in his chest. He was jealous, he admits. He wished that he had the fortune of having someone special in his life but it was painfully obvious no one would take a liking to someone as ordinary as him. As much as he hated to think about it, he was painfully jealous of Akashi. _A wealthy lifestyle, plenty of friends and a girlfriend. It must be nice,_ Kuroko thinks forlornly, _not to ever feel lonely._

"What's she like?" he asks. Despite Akashi's jerkish behavior, Kuroko didn't want to contend with the redhead. He had plans to befriend Akashi from the start, after all and he couldn't think of any other way besides asking him about his life. It's pathetic how relieved he is when Akashi answers his question with limited hostility.

"She's cute," Akashi shrugs. He scrolls through his phone and holds the phone in front of Kuroko's face to see. It was a picture of Akashi kissing the cheek of a girl with long black hair and green eyes. He looks happy, Kuroko notes. He wondered what a happy Akashi in real life was like. There's another pregnant pause between the two of them and Kuroko takes a deep breath, formulating the words for an apology in his head.

"So, uhm," Kuroko says, looking away. "I'm sorry for being rude to you before," he mutters, tracing patterns on the wooden seat of the swing. "I don't want to fight the rest of your time here. We don't have to be friends or anything, I mean. I'd just rather we at least be civilized and get along with each other without throwing insults around."

Akashi pauses and turns off his phone, putting it down, peering curiously at Kuroko.

"Alright," he concedes after a moment of silence. "I accept your apology."

So no apology from the great Akashi Seijuro himself, huh? Kuroko bristles slightly at Akashi's arrogance but says nothing. Kuroko's about to open his mouth to ask Akashi to cease his constant teasing about Kuroko, especially when they unknowingly struck so close to home but he bites his lip in the end, not wanting Akashi to think he was an oversensitive crybaby. The sky was rapidly growing darker and darker, the stars beginning to show, and crickets chirping from the grass.

"Are you-Shit!" Akashi swears as he slaps away a mosquito from his arm. "I forgot that the countryside was infested with mosquitoes."

"We're not infested," Kuroko says defensively, although the fact he had to swat a bug away from his leg as well didn't help aid his argument in the least. "It's just bad in the evening."

"Well I'm going back inside then," Akashi says, getting up from his seat and sliding the back door open. "Are you coming?" he asks, turning his head to face Kuroko. The latter blinks in surprise before nodding gratefully in compliance.

It warms his heart in a weird way, to be asked such a simple of question. To anybody else it would have been meaningless. To Kuroko, it meant that Akashi was finally lowering his walls, even if just a by a bit.

"This bed is so small," Akashi says for the third time, pressing his hand on the mattress of the bed. They had already showered and brushed and were now sitting around in Kuroko's room, stalling to turn off the lights. Kuroko's bed should have been next to the window - it was the best place, after all, but due to Akashi's arrival, Akashi now occupied the bed by the window and Kuroko's bed had been pushed against the adjacent wall. _Akashi doesn't deserve that bed,_ Kuroko laments. Not a day had gone by so far where Akashi hadn't complained about the size of the bed.

"Well, sorry it doesn't fit your taste, Your Highness," Kuroko snaps, sitting at the edge of his bed. Akashi's frequent complaining about how the things in the country couldn't compare to that in the city had quickly grown old. Akashi probably slept on a king bed with satin blankets and plush pillows back home. _I can only imagine the depressing downgrade to a single bed with a cotton comforter,_ Kuroko thinks sarcastically. Akashi had put his phone to charge on the desk and changed into a sleeveless tank and old shorts. Even in his pajamas, Akashi still looked more attractive than any asshole had the right too. If only he wasn't an utter jerk, Kuroko thinks sullenly, curling his toes.

Kuroko turns off the lights, leaving the ceiling fan on as testament that the summer heat would be unbearable to sleep in and Akashi opens the window, a warm breeze blowing into the room. Kuroko crawls into bed and stares at the ceiling, falling asleep to the hum of the ceiling fan and the chirping of crickets, wondering about the kind of person Akashi Seijuro really was.


	3. we're young and reckless

Akashi Seijuro is a puzzle. Akashi Seijuro is a brat. But a puzzle all the same. He confuses Kuroko. Annoys the living hell out of him, too, but yet, intrigues him.

Most people were easy enough to decipher, Kuroko muses, but most people didn't build walls twenty feet high and growing, either. Akashi did.

The few times he lowered his walls enough for Kuroko to flash a cursory glance into Akashi's life were rare, yet Kuroko felt that every time he sneaked a glance, he felt a growing urge to stare longer, to fully enjoy it.

That proved a difficult task when Akashi never let his guard down too long, or too often. The next morning, he was back to his snide, sardonic self, and perhaps, even worse. As if to retaliate for bombarding him with so many questions the other day, Akashi had spent the rest of the morning finding entertainment in mocking and picking apart everything about Kuroko, picking right down his seams. Ugly, he had said, at first glance, and then as a second thought, a slew of demeaning adjectives followed, among them: clumsy, a hindrance, incompetent, unseemly, and weak. The words had stung and left jabs among old, sore wounds but Kuroko had ignored it, mustering through Akashi's mockery. The only solace he had was that Akashi, at least, had a different side to him. A small solace, at that, but yet.

After the morning, Kuroko had spent the rest of the day evading Akashi, flipping through books with little interest in anger and annoyance, his thoughts elsewhere when he tried to read bits of the novels. He eventually stood up, deciding that it would be good for him to get some fresh air and that he'd bike to Ogiwara's house, only to pull his bike out of the dusty shed and realize, with growing irritation and decisiveness that the whole universe enjoyed seeing him suffer, that his bike tires were regrettably, flat, and the bike pump, nowhere in sight.

So he was stuck in his house become hell-hole, sulking on his couch.

 _Don't sink to his level, Tetsuya,_ Kuroko had thought silently when Akashi brushed past him and Kuroko felt a surge of anger again, wanting to hurl a dozen unpleasantries right back at the redhead himself, so he'd know how it felt, if his ego allowed him to feel anything at all. He only barely refrains himself from doing so. So he bit his lip, gnashing his teeth as Akashi poured himself a glass of water and went straight back upstairs, not sparing Kuroko a second glance.

The hours ticked by slowly and Kuroko thought at this rate, he was either doomed to die from Akashi's narcissistic behavior or from boredom itself.

"Now, now, you two, the house can't possibly be this quiet when there are two seventeen year old boys here!" Kuroko's mom had finally shouted from the study, peeking her head out to give Kuroko a warning look when the two boys still made no sign of attempting to spark conversation with each other. Kuroko weighs his two options: complain and moan _'but mooooom'_ or try to play along nicely with Akashi yet again - to suffer from boredom or get suffocated by Akashi's ego, more like - so that his mother would think he was treating his guest the right way. I am, Kuroko thinks bitterly, it's just that the guest is treating me rudely.

All the complications in the world and Akashi Seijuro was definitely one of the most complicated.

Kuroko stomps up the stairs, flings open the door to the room Akashi was currently in. The redhead doesn't spare him a glance and barely gives any indication that he's surprised by Kuroko's sudden appearance. It's then that Kuroko remembers that he doesn't quite have a plan about how to play nice with Akashi, or an idea about what they should be doing so he throws out the first idea that comes into his mind.

"Let's go horseback riding," he blurts out and Akash finally looks up from his screen, heterochromatic eyes widening by a fraction, something lighting up in them as he looks up, nods, slides off the bed and leaves his phone on the mattress.

* * *

"This one is Kimiko," Kuroko introduces, leading the reins of an elegant black horse out of the stalls. She whinnies and Kuroko pats her nose in return. "This one is Saru," he says, taking the reins of a powerful, large white horse who resists against Kuroko's attempts to lead it out from it's stables. "He's a feisty one, so you can ride Kimiko-"

"I'll ride Saru," Akashi interjects confidently, stepping forward despite Kuroko's indignant squawks of protests and all but wrestling the reins out of Kuroko's grasp. Akashi reaches a gentle hand - more gentle than anything else Kuroko had ever seen him handle - out to stroke the horse's muzzle, murmuring soothing words of reassurance. Saru slowly relaxes, his tail swishing in content as he neighs and follows Akashi's lead out of the stable, the redhead wearing a smug look. Kuroko huffs, looking away, clearly sour about being one upped about a guest being able to tame Saru better than anyone in their family ever had.

Kuroko walks over to a storage bin, pulling out two saddles and fixing them to the horses' back and muzzle. Akashi seemed to be getting along with Saru rather well. He pats the horse and the horse nuzzles his cheek in return, eliciting a quiet, musical laugh from Akashi, much to Kuroko's surprise. He thought that with Akashi's behavior, the redhead could very well go the entire summer without breaking a real smile; one that wasn't there to jeer at Kuroko. Saru didn't resist when Akashi had saddled up either, instead letting out a quiet bray when Akashi pats the horse again. With annoyance, Kuroko remembers how Saru had nearly thrown him off his back when he had first tried to ride the horse and Kuroko had raised Saru himself ever since he had been a foal.

"I hope he bucks and throws you off," Kuroko mutters, disgruntled as he saddles up onto Kimiko himself. He takes the reins and pats Kimiko's neck, signaling for her to trot out of the barn. Akashi follows close behind and he looks right at home on a horse with his perfect posture and easy-going expression. Kuroko guesses that he did ride his horse back home a lot, after all. When they exit the barn and enter the clearing, Kuroko taps his heel on Kimiko's side and Kimiko enters a trot, travelling around the large expanse of backyard, hooves pounding the dirt. He hears a small whoop of joy from behind him and turns his head in surprise to see Akashi tapping his heel to Saru's side and entering a fast paced gallop, surging past Kuroko. He sticks his tongue out at the blue haired boy as he passes and Kuroko felt playful indignation rise in his chest. He taps his heel at Kimiko's side once again, urging her to go faster, in retaliation, and catches up to Akashi in a matter of a seconds, laughing as the summer wind blew over his face, pushing his hair back, remembering the elation of feeling free. Akashi wore a genuine grin on his face as he guided Saru around, silently racing Kuroko to laps around the backyard. They're laughing and giggling as they shout words of challenge and shoot each other smug glances when they took the lead. Hearts pounding, hooves thundering and wind whistling in their ears, they race around in a large circle around the open backyard, through the yellow wild grass, circling around the trees and around the outside of the barn.

Akashi overtakes Kuroko every lap and as their horses slow into a trot once again, Kuroko protests that it was only because Saru had always been faster than Kimiko. His heart's pumping with adrenaline, his hair now disheveled and wind-blown.

"That was fun," Akashi says, eyes gleaming, as he runs a hand through his hair, trying to fix his wind blown locks.

"It was," Kuroko agrees and he realizes, that for the past few hours, he and Akashi had been entirely at ease with each other, laughing with the wind and playfully challenging each other and forgetting all their previous bitter feelings.

It had been nice. Much nicer than being at odds with Akashi was.

"You know," Akashi says conversationally as they lead the horses back into the stable and Akashi helps Kuroko refill the horses' water tank. "You...," he trails off and looks off to the side in slight embarrassment, "you're not so bad after all."

It's not by any means, an apology, and certainly not enough to make up for the words Akashi had said to him in the morning, but Kuroko takes it.

It was another introspective glimpse into Akashi, so short lived, but breathtaking, intriguing, and frustrating at the same time.

It's later Kuroko realizes that that was the first time Akashi had genuinely laughed at something. His musical, innocent laughter that sparked from joy was much more pleasant than the snarky, snickering one he used when he pointed out Kuroko's flaws. Akashi's nicer to him again, ceasing his arbitrary insults, though he can't quite seem to refrain from taunting and jabbing at Kuroko at times he slipped up. Kuroko finds no way to retaliate: everything the redhead seemed to do bordered near utter perfection he had never seen before, much less able to match. At least he wasn't all talk. It intimated Kuroko; if Akashi was a lion, Kuroko was a mere house cat and the difference in how they held themselves was more than enough than Akashi's jibes to remind Kuroko just how vastly different they were.

But in the next week after their horseback riding, Kuroko's pleased to find that Akashi had grown almost near bearable. At least, he's stopped calling Kuroko's names and allowed him to ask a few questions here and there, which he'd humor with answers, but if anything ventured too personal, he'd clam right up, shutting Kuroko out. I guess he's the kind of person who needs a long time to trust someone, Kuroko muses. He tells Akashi a few things about himself in exchange, like how he didn't like the city very much, liked vanilla milkshakes, and basketball.

"You play basketball?" Akashi asks, his eyes lit with fervor at the mention of the word 'basketball' just like how he had with 'horsebacking' - Kuroko called them Akashi's inner nerd words - and he peers at Kuroko curiously.

"Y-yeah," Kuroko mumbles. He's not very good and neither is his team, but they all love basketball and that's enough for all of them. They had once asked Kagami to play for their team as well, but Kagami had rejected their offer awkwardly, telling them he was already in another team in the city. He had graciously left out the word 'better' so as to cushion their crushed spirits but they knew the implications and after all, Kagami deserved to be on a better team. "Do you play too?"

"Yes," Akashi says, eyes gleaming with excitement. "Are you any good? Is there anywhere around here to play basketball?"

So basketball is something he truly loves, Kuroko surmises. He should have guessed Akashi did at least one sport with his athletic build, but he hadn't guessed it'd be a sport they shared a love for.

"Uh...well the courts are kind of far, but there are some at my school," Kuroko says. "And I'm...okay, at basketball. What about you?"

"I'm good," Akashi brags, his words confident unlike Kuroko's faltering own and Kuroko has no doubt that he is. "My team wins nationals a lot."

"Oh. That must be amazing," Kuroko says wistfully. He had always dreamt of being able to play in the brightly lit stadium full of cheering crowds and shiny courts at nationals, but of course, his aspirations were far from possible with his current level of basketball. "What position do you play?"

"Point guard," Akashi replies nonchalantly. "I'm also captain of the team." Kuroko gapes at this, even though he shouldn't have been surprised at all. It was pathetically easy to see Akashi as the playmaker who'd control the game and even more so to imagine a number four emblazoned upon the back of his jersey. Akashi belonged to one of those teams that could crush Kuroko's own underfoot by over a hundred points and not even break a sweat. It set flames of anger, admiration, and envy in Kuroko's chest all at once.

"We, uh, we could play sometime if you want," Kuroko offers, suddenly feeling very shy. To his relief, Akashi responds positively, nodding his head in agreement.

"I'd like that," he hums.

For the first time, Kuroko finds that he'd woken up later than Akashi. The latter had already showered and changed leaving Kuroko to slide out of bed groggily and run a hand through his tangled locks. He picks up his hairbrush and tries in vain to comb through his bed hair, but the brush continues to get caught in tangles, Kuroko wincing as he tried to pull his brush free. He feels a presence come up behind him, and a hand plucks the brush out of Kuroko's own impatiently.

"You're hopeless. Let me do it," Akashi murmurs, his voice deep and still slightly hoarse from the early morning. It sends a shiver up Kuroko's spine. Akashi has Kuroko sit down on the chair and places his hand on Kuroko's shoulder to stabilize him as he uses the brush to pull through a particularly nasty tangle, Kuroko letting a mewl of protest from the pain of his hair being pulled so violently. He was never used to being this rough on his hair.

"Please don't be so rough, Akashi-kun," Kuroko says in discomfort. Akashi flicks the back of his head.

"Don't complain. This is the only way to get rid of all the tangles in your unruly hair," he tsks, pulling another tangle free. The process continues with Kuroko's whining and Akashi's reprimanding about the awful care Kuroko took of his hair until the former's scalp ached but his blue locks were finally tangle free and soft.

"There," Akashi says, putting down the brush. "You're welcome."

They walk down to breakfast and Kuroko's mother's eyes widen in surprise at the sight.

"I'm not sure if I'm more surprised that the two of you came down to breakfast together for the first time or the fact that Tecchan's hair is properly combed," she says, impressed. She sets down the plate of pancakes and runs a hand through Kuroko's hair. "It's tangle free!" she exclaims.

"Akashi-kun helped me brush it," Kuroko mumbles, swatting her hand away and she lifts an eyebrow in amusement.

"Is that so?" she grins. "Well I'm glad to see you two are getting along."


	4. give your heart a break

The surprise of the morning the next day comes in the form of the slight brush of fingers when both of them had reached for Kuroko's comb at the same time. Kuroko had looked up in surprise at Akashi, retracting his hand to allow the redhead to pick up the comb. He brushes Kuroko's hair, grumbling about what a chore it was as if he hadn't voluntarily reached for the brush; but Kuroko voices no complaints. Akashi does it again the next morning after that, and the morning after that, and the morning after that morning he even manages to do without complaining - only an amused sigh in place of his usual look of furtive disdain - and within a week, it had become a 'thing' for Akashi to brush Kuroko's bed hair in the morning. The two of them would come down to breakfast together, much to the pleasant surprise of Kuroko's mother.

Sometimes, Akashi would even place more food onto Kuroko's plate with the excuse that he wasn't eating nearly enough and Kuroko would grumble but he'd eat it anyways. When they sat on the couch, they'd sometimes sit just a tad bit closer to each other - a respectable distance to where at least they weren't sitting stiffly on opposite ends as if trying to utilize all five feet of the couch to keep away from each other - and even though Kuroko wouldn't let Akashi choose which movie to watch, Akashi would have his own fun by managing to guess every single culprit in the mystery ones and guess all the plot events of the cheap action flicks, much to Kuroko's chagrin. And sometimes, when the stars were aligned and the mood was perfectly right and Kuroko was feeling particularly bold, Kuroko would dare to scoot just a tiny bit closer to Akashi to where if he moved another few mere inches, their knees would be brushing.

And sometimes, Akashi wouldn't scoot away.

* * *

It was a Friday when Kuroko was awoken by sunlight filtering in through the window and voices downstairs and after sparing a cursory glance at the alarm clock, he sees just how late it was. By now, Ogiwara must have come and gone. He drags himself downstairs only to find that, with great surprise and confusion, Akashi and Ogiwara were talking to each other - Akashi still in his bed hair and pajamas and Ogiwara with the smile that shined brighter than the sun - in what mostly seemed to be a one sided conversation.

"Kurokooooo!" Ogiwara sang cheerfully when he sees Kuroko on the stairs and Akashi turns around, annoyance and exasperation written over his face as his gaze flits between Kuroko and Ogiwara, as if debating who was the lesser of two evils.

"Your friend -" Akashi starts, pursing his lips. He says _'friend'_ in that disdainful way again, as if he couldn't believe Kuroko had friends, or perhaps, couldn't believe that he was friends with someone who was his complete antithesis. Or knowing Akashi, both.

"Ah, Sei-san, don't be so uptight!" Ogiwara interjects, his smile not faltering for a second and Akashi looks rather pained at the nickname, Kuroko stifling a giggle.

"Don't call me Sei-san!" Akashi says irritatedly, batting away Ogiwara.

"Don't be like that _Sei-san_."

"Sei-san?" Kuroko asks in amusement.

"I told him to stop calling me that," Akashi grumbles. "But he won't stop. Don't call me Sei!"

"Why not? It sounds cute."

 _"I'm not cute!"_

"Yeah, he's real ugly," Kuroko adds and Akashi glares at him. "Don't worry, Akashi-kun, I'm sure I could fix it with a few punches to your face, would you like me to try?"

"Looks like you're in need of some help too," Akashi sneers. "People worse off shouldn't talk."

"Now, now, don't argue, Kuroko, Sei-san -"

"Don't call me that!"

"Ogiwara-kun is Ogiwara-kun," Kuroko shrugs mischievously and Akashi looks as if he wanted to ask about the implications, but decided against it in the end.

Kuroko had assumed that he and Akashi were getting along decently well, until Akashi refused to speak to him one morning. Or to anyone, for that matter. He didn't seem to want to function, wrapping himself up in his comforter and turning his back away from Kuroko when Kuroko had asked if he was up and refusing to reply when Kuroko asked if he would be coming down for breakfast. So Kuroko had walked down to breakfast alone, a bit disappointed that his morning hair had reverted to it's previous messy state: tangles galore and his scalp absent of the stinging from Akashi's harsh pulling with the brush. Kuroko assumed that the redhead was merely just tired, having spent a great majority of last night awake on his phone, staying up far after Kuroko had drifted off to sleep.

"He's still sleeping," Kuroko explains when his mom questions about him about Akashi's whereabouts and why his hair had once again reverted to it's usual morning mess. By the time nine thirty rolls around, however, Kuroko starts to become a bit concerned. Akashi had never woken up past eight any day since he had arrived. Worried that something was wrong, Kuroko piles some of the leftover breakfast food on a tray and walks up the stairs to the bedroom. The window blinds were only half open, allowing shafts of light to filter in and Akashi was still lying on his bed, back turned to the door. Kuroko sets the tray on the desk, walking over to the bed. He yanks the cover off Akashi who grunts in protest, curling up tighter in a ball and Kuroko frowns.

"Hey, Akashit, what's wrong?" Kuroko asks, furrowing his brow at Akashi's uncharacteristic behavior.

"None of your business," Akashi grumbles, his voice hoarse as if he was straining to stop it from wavering and Kuroko's expression softens. So something was wrong.

"I don't know what's wrong, but," Kuroko sighs, the words foreign on his tongue as he tries to comfort Akashi of all people.

"Nothing's wrong. Go away."

"-but whatever it is, it's going to be alright."

There's a pregnant pause and Kuroko takes a deep breath entangling his fingers together nervously and says the words with careful deliberation. "I know..that I'm far from your candidate, but if there's something, you want to talk about...I guess I could try. I'll be there to listen, uhm, I mean..there's breakfast on the desk, if you want it. Though it's all cold now."

Kuroko drops the comforter back on the bed and turns around to exit the room and give Akashi his space before the same hoarse voice stops him. He hears shuffling and turns around to see Akashi sitting up from his bed, bags under his eyes, and his red locks completely disheveled. _He looks awful,_ Kuroko thinks sympathetically. Akashi looks up hesitantly at Kuroko, as if debating whether or not to confide in him, and then looks down at his hands in his lap.

"I broke up with my girlfriend," Akashi finally admits, running a hand through his hair.

"Oh," Kuroko says rather dumbly, not quite sure to react. He didn't know how to comfort anybody after a breakup! "Well, why are _you_ so sad then...?"

"Because Reo - my friend, that is - told me she was cheating on me. Turns out she was. She didn't even bother to deny it," Akashi mutters, his voice strangely hollow. There's a twinge of empathy in Kuroko's chest for the redhead; he sounded defeated and even, a little broken, though Kuroko supposes it's only natural, but for Akashi, for someone who had too much pride, it must have been sorely humiliating, and even more so painful to have lost someone dear to him. Kuroko recalls Akashi saying that he had never lost before. He wondered if that stayed true for everything - if that stayed true for people.

"I'm sorry to hear that," Kuroko says gently, walking back over to the bed and taking a seat on the ground, looking up at Akashi. "Do you want to talk about it? It's okay if you don't. It's awful news though, even if y- well, never mind. Nobody deserves that and uhhhh as much it pains me to admit it, I have a feeling you treat your partners well, so I don't really know why anybody would want to cheat on you."

"Don't patronize me," Akashi snaps angrily. "Those are lies and you know it. You and I both know there are a million reasons why anybody would want to leave me."

Kuroko blinks, stunned by Akashi's outburst and his words; it was the first time he had seen Akashi anything less than wholly confident in himself. And to admit he had a dozen flaws? Such words from Akashi himself were even more unfathomable.

"Don't say that," Kuroko says awkwardly. "It's true, that I can think of reasons why someone would leave you, but I think it's mostly because of the way you've treated me. If you treated your girlfriend like this, she'd be long gone, no?"

At this, Akashi momentarily freezes, eyes travelling to Kuroko's. "I...I've been hurting you, yeah?"

"A little."

"Liar."

"Liar?"

"Yeah."

"I'm ok."

"But I'm not."

That makes Kuroko giggle a bit, albeit guiltily. "No you aren't," he says, straightening himself.

"I'm sorry."

"For?"

"I already said I'm sorry. I don't like having to repeat myself."

"...Did you love her?"

"I...I don't really know. Maybe. Maybe not. We'd only been dating for a year but we'd been friends for three," Akashi says, closing his eyes. "I think the fact I'm...nevermind, actually, I don't want to trouble you with frivolous matters."

"Your happiness isn't frivolous."

"I don't think you should be so kind when I've been unfair to you."

"No, don't get me wrong, I still want to punch you in the face. But you're a bearable person sometimes. And I don't think you deserve to be sad about something. . .something that you put everything into but lost in the end because of the other's person's faults. It's fine," Kuroko urges. "I said I'd be here to listen, didn't I? I'm going to keep my promise."

"It's annoying how persistent you are," Akashi mutters, aiming a light kick at Kuroko's head. "She probably dated me for my status," he says, continuing with a half hearted shrug. "Nothing much more that's good about me that's worth keeping me around, I _suppose_ ," he sneers.

"I'm sure you have at least one redeeming quality," Kuroko offers and Akashi gives him a withering look.

"Thanks," he utters sarcastically.

"Well, it's not my fault that you almost never bother to display any when you're around me," Kuroko huffs and Akashi looks away guiltily. "Okay. I'm sure you have good attributes," Kuroko tries again. "Basketball, for instance."

"You've never even _seen_ me play," Akashi says in amusement.

"If you're any less than LeBron after all your bragging and boasting I will be sorely disappointed," Kuroko retorts, his response evoking a small chuckle from the redhead. "You get good grades?"

"That's just talking about how I'm a model student," Akashi mutters. "That's got nothing to do with my personality."

"...You brush my hair," Kuroko says and Akashi blinks in surprise.

"So?"

"I...I've never really had anyone brush my hair."

"Your mother?"

"Not anymore."

"Is that why that thing is always a rat's nest?"

"Well..."

"Is me brushing your hair that special to you that you would count it as one of my good qualities?" Akashi asks increduculously and Kuroko rolls his eyes.

"What I mean to say - in an extremely roundabout way - is that you're not. Too bad. Uhm. You're kind of nice, sometimes. I guess. Yeah."

"I see."

There's another silence that falls between the two boys and Akashi falls back on his bed with a plop, looking on the ceiling with his hands on his chest, taking a deep breath.

"My mother used to brush my hair too. When I was little."

"Oh," Kuroko says. "Sorry, but why are you telling me this..?"

"Why am I?" Akashi echoes, turning to his side. "I don't really know." And then in a rather quiet voice. "I'm tired of losing people."

"Your mother -"

"Died," Akashi murmurs. "She died when I was ten."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Kuroko says sympathetically, wringing his hands in despair as he tries to come up with better words of comfort, but none come to mind but a pathetic sorry. So Akashi had lost before. The thought is awful, but thinking of Akashi's losses makes Kuroko feel a bit more at ease with the redhead to know that he was merely human too.

"If she was still around, I don't think I'd be here," Akashi continues. "I don't think I would have been as materialistically spoiled if she was still around. My father was never the greatest at dealing with emotions. I was only required to have perfect academic grades and achievements and he'd leave me alone. I tried getting his attention sometimes, but he'd get me anything I wanted. Except for the actual attention. I'd rather have been spoiled by love."

Kuroko has nothing to say, suddenly feeling rather grateful that perhaps, he was less lonely than he originally thought. He had parents who spoiled him with love. He only had a few friends but the bonds he held were like having four quarters to one hundred pennies.

"Sorry, I'm done now," Akashi groans, sitting up. He stands up and Kuroko's eyes follow the redhead to where he stops at the doorframe, scratching the back of his neck awkwardly yet refusing to look back at Kuroko. And in a voice so quiet that Kuroko almost misses it, he hears Akashi murmur 'thank you' in a manner that almost made him appear shy before leaving the room, leaving Kuroko alone.

* * *

There's an air of tentativeness around the two teenagers for the rest of the morning and Kuroko sneaks glances at Akashi occasionally to see how the redhead was doing. He takes notes of the slight furrow of Akashi's eyebrows, the way he shifts and runs his hand through his hair in agitation or how sometimes, he gets up randomly, halting whatever it was he was doing and shutting himself in their room. Kuroko contemplates knocking on the door and asking if he was alright, but as he stands outside with his fist raised and hears nothing from within the room: no sounds of things breaking, walls being punched, no stifled sobs, no hiccups, no loud cries or curse words, he can't bring himself to waltz into the room.

He doesn't comment when Akashi comes out of the room twenty minutes later, his eyes slightly puffy, and he doesn't say anything when Akashi walks past him and out into the backyard.

Kuroko's not sure how to comfort Akashi, if he should at all and finally, he makes the decision to follow Akashi out to the barn. Akashi walks over to the horses and extends an arm out to Saru, petting the horse gently with the smallest smile on his face.

"How are you boy?" Akashi asks as Saru neighs and swishes his tail. "Huh, petting you makes me miss my own horse. . ."

Kuroko clears his throat and Akashi whips around, his eyes hardening for a minute when he realizes he wasn't alone and when his gaze land on Kuroko, his eyes flicker uncertainly.

"What is it?" Akashi asks stiffly and Kuroko bites his lip apprehensively.

"...basketball," he mumbles.

"What?"

"Basketball...always makes me feel better," Kuroko exhales. "Would you...would you want to play?"

"Together?"

"I guess..."

"Basketball with _you_?"

"I mean, if you really don't want to, it was just a suggestion-"

"Okay."

* * *

Within the next ten minutes, the two of them were outside of the house, walking along the side of the road to the school court, basketball tucked in hand. Akashi spun the ball on his finger while they walked and occasionally, dribbled it along the road, and Kuroko's almost soothed by the steady rhythmn of the basketball against the pavement. Akashi doesn't say anything, focusing his attention on the ball and Kuroko casts his eyes downwards, unsure of what to do.

Their shadows stretch out overhead as the sun illuminates overhead and Akashi glances over at Kuroko through the corner of his eye.

"You never told me what position you play," Akashi prompts.

"Me?" Kuroko echoes. "I'm a shadow."

Akashi raises an eyebrow at this and Kuroko catches crimson eyes flicking to the ground at their shadows in front of them.

"What, are you trying to sound cool with that kind of name? Do you not have any actual position?" Akashi snorts, reverting to his previous self.

"I dunno," Kuroko shrugs and Akashi furrows his brows.

"You don't know? What do you know?"

"Hm," Kuroko muses teasingly and Akashi sighs.

"Alright, I guess I'll wait to see," he grumbles, pushing Kuroko's shoulder in a playful manner and for a fleeting second it reminds Kuroko of exactly how friends bump each other's shoulders.

They reach the basketball courts and Akashi surveys the premises, narrowing his eyes in disappointment.

"It's. . ." Akashi mutters, staring at the decrepit basketball hoop, the paint on the backboard cracked and peeling off, the rim slightly bent and most of the net, gone. Kuroko waits for the onslaught of critique and snobbish remarks to spill from Akashi's lips but the redhead stays surprisingly quiet.

"You guys really love basketball, huh?" Akashi says, staring at the hoop impassively and Kuroko purses his lips.

"Yeah."

"This court is so well worn..." the redhead trails off. "It feels...oddly comforting?"

Kuroko definitely hadn't been expecting that from the rich city boy who came from a national level team with the most expensive facilities and equipment. He definitely hadn't been expecting Akashi to find comfort in a desolate outside court like this.

Akashi gets into shooting position and makes a perfect shot from the free throw line, the ball going in flawlessly.

"Wow," he says.

"Wow?" Akashi asks. "It was only a free throw shot. What's so impressive about that?"

"I can't shoot," Kuroko admits and Akashi only blinks.

"Can you dribble?"

"Not really."

"You can't dribble?"

"I believe that is what I said."

"Then what else is there for you to do if you can't even perform the most fundamental skills of basketball?"

"My true ability shows when there I play with a team," Kuroko says and Akashi lets out a long sigh.

"Alright," Akashi says, pinching his nose. "Okay."

"You don't believe me."

"Yeah, not really."

"Understandable. One on one?"

"You just said you can't shoot or dribble," Akashi points out in annoyance.

"I'm not completely inept at those skills," Kuroko counters and Akashi hesitates before passing the ball. The familiar touch of the ball underneath his fingertips makes Kuroko beam with excitement. Akashi settles into a defensive stance against the hoop, eyes bright and calculating. Kuroko takes a deep breath and starts into a drive, but as soon as the ball touches the ground and he's lunged towards one direction, Akashi's right there in front of him with shocking alacrity, lips twisted in some sinister, pleased smirk as Kuroko's eyes widen in surprise. Akashi's reflexes are far too fast to be normal and in the midst of his surprise, Kuroko fumbles the ball and before he can even try to regain himself, the ball is snatched from him and Akashi dribbles past and around him, sinking a perfect shot into the hoop - there's not any contact with the backboard, nor with the rim, only with the half dead hoop and a half hearted swish as the basketball falls through and Kuroko stands there stunned at Akashi's perfection which now only proved to extend into basketball as well.

"You..." Kuroko trails off. Kuroko's seen monsters. He's seen rival teams stand head and shoulders above the rest and he's seen Kagami play, he's seen Aomine play, he's seen Kagami and Aomine play against each other - but he's never seen basketball like Akashi's. "Your basketball," he breathes. "It's perfect..."

"Of course it is," Akashi says, self assuredly as he goes to retrieve the ball.

"...bright..." Kuroko murmurs and Akashi snaps his head up to stare at Kuroko in confusion.

"What was that?"

"Nothing," Kuroko says shaking his head and smiling. "Are you ready for try number two?"

"Me?" Akashi laughs. "The question is, Tetsuya," - he pauses for dramatic effect - "are you ready for me?"

A completely one sided game of 10-0 later, Kuroko's hands on his knees with labored breathing, staring at Akashi who hadn't broken a sweat at all, Kuroko can only think _'no, not at all'._


	5. what's the best way, no one knows

It's after another three completely one-sided games when Kuroko concedes crushing defeat to Akashi, who looks nothing but smug.

The sun had begun to set, the sky beginning to fade to orange and yellow, and Kuroko stood bent over the old, stained school water fountain by the edge of the court drinking the disgustingly warm and metallic tasting water while Akashi stood in the back, teasing him, telling him not to puke.

Kuroko straightens from the water fountain, wiping the water off his lips and his stomach growls unexpectedly. There's a moment of silence and then the two boys' eye's meet each other, a small grin stretching across their features and they chuckle.

"Are you hungry?" Kuroko asks Akashi.

"I guess I could do with some food."

Down the road a little distance away from the school basketball courts, there was a small convenience store. Faded graffiti smudged the side walls of the store where it had not-so-mysteriously appeared overnight one winter, the handiwork of a couple of bored delinquent students. The paint on the rest of the building peeled a bit and old posters plastered the windows, advertising old movies and _'Bentos! Two for the price of one! Only this week!'_ , except it had been _'only this week'_ for the past two years. A few well kept potted plants stood next to the entrance adding a small splash of color in contrasting to the starch walls.

They walk into the brightly lit store and a blast of air conditioner hits them hard. There's a single girl cashier wiping down the counter that looks up briefly to give them a monotonous greeting, "Welcome to the store.. . .". Kuroko leads Akashi through the store, navigating the aisles to reach the small frozen foods section in the back. He eagerly picks out a small tub of vanilla ice cream

"I don't like vanilla ice cream," Akashi frowns.

"What kind of ice cream do you like, then?" Kuroko challenges. Akashi scans the collection of frozen treats with wariness.

"I don't know. Matcha maybe?"

"Uhhhhhh."

"You don't like matcha."

"It's not the best."

"Neither is vanilla."

"There are few matters in this world in which I will fight over and vanilla ice cream is one of them."

"Is that so."

The two of them stand there, facing off in the back of the store, neither of them willing to give up ground on their preferred taste of ice cream - 'it's far too sugary and sweet' Akashi had said and Kuroko had retorted with 'there's no need to be old and boring and healthy, Akashi-san'. The hum of the freezer seems to grow louder.

"Please?" Kuroko pouts, putting on his best display of puppy dog eyes. For the smallest moment, Akashi's eyes at Kuroko's pleading expression before he looked away and mumbled something incoherent.

"Fine, we'll get your shitty vanilla ice cream," Akashi sneers, stuffing his hands in his pockets and turning away. Kuroko silently cheers at his small victory and as compromise, Kuroko tries to ask Akashi what he wanted but quickly discovered that no matter how hard Akashi tried to hide it, he was completely clueless on how to navigate the convenience store and on what food tasted good and what didn't. The redhead's air of confidence was completely gone, replaced with tentative curiosity at the myriad of junk food and sweets that overflowed the shelves.

"Do you want arare? Or senbei?"

"Arare has seaweed so no. I'm not a big fan of senbei, either."

"Um, arare has, like, no seaweed..."

"What are you talking about, are you blind?" Akashi says, looking rather scandalized as he points at the thin pieces of seaweed wrapped around the small crackers. Kuroko rolls his eyes at the former's childishness.

"Alright, melon pan or manju?"

"I'd rather have anpan."

"Jeez...spoiled. Anpan costs a whole 30 yen more, you know," Kuroko jokes as he places it in the basket.

"Do you like umaibo?" Kuroko asks.

"Uhhh, eh, I have a friend who does?"

"You've never had it," Kuroko realizes flatly and Akashi shrugs. After a moment's decision, Kuroko puts the sweet back onto the shelf and walks to the other side of the store, Akashi trailing after him with his hands behind his head.

"Bentos or onigiri?" Kuroko asks and when Akashi hesitates, Kuroko answers for the both of them, picking out two bentos.

"Anything you're allergic to?" Kuroko says, scanning the contents of the bento over.

"No, but I absolutely detest seaweed."

"Judging by the fact you won't even eat arare, I already guessed so."

Kuroko, seemingly satisfied with his pick of food, walks towards the front counter. He reaches into his back pocket to pull out a few crumpled bills but a swift hand stops him.

"I'm paying," Akashi declares and Kuroko narrows his eyes.

"You're the guest," Kuroko argues, trying to wriggle out of Akashi's grasp to no avail.

"I want to pay," Akashi repeats stubbornly. He takes the basket from Kuroko's hand and walking up to the counter. Kuroko opens his mouth stubbornly, but it was too late as Akashi was already handing the money to the cashier.

"You look familiar," the cashier girl says, scanning their purchases and tilting her head to the side as she assesses Akashi. "I've never seen you with Kuroko before today, though."

"He's from the city, Michiko-san," Kuroko explains. She was a little older than them, and despite the fact she hated working behind the counter, she needed the summer job to save money for college.

"You seem familiar too," Akashi remarks lightly and Michiko raises an eyebrow.

"Is that so," she says dubiously and Akashi flashes her a brilliant smile.

"You look like the girl of my dreams," he drawls with a teasing smirk and Michiko blinks in surprise before laughing.

"Funny, real funny. Charmer, aren't you? Still can't quite place a finger on who you are..."

"Ignore him, Michiko-san," Kuroko advises, stepping on Akashi's foot who scowls. "His ego's sky high."

"I could tell. Oh! I got it. Akashi. Akashi Seijuro, right?" Michiko exclaims. "Fancy seeing someone like you around here. Hey, as the girl of your dreams, can I keep the change?" she jokes, waving around the extra bills and Akashi chuckles.

"Of course."

Michiko and Kuroko blink in surprise, their jaws dropping. _"Huh?"_

The two boys leave the store with their food after Michiko jubilantly thanked Akashi. _It was insane,_ Kuroko thought. _Who the hell carried around a ten thousand yen bill? And who the hell just paid for something no more than one thousand yen with a bill that large?_ Michiko had been just as shocked, but something about the whole interaction left a pang in Kuroko's heart.

Outside, Kuroko catches Akashi flirting a glance at the short link chain fence surrounding the children's playground in the schoolyard across the road. He tugs on Akashi's arm, pulling him across the road towards the playground.

"Let's go!" he urges. Akashi follows him to the playground where Kuroko hands the bag of food to Akashi, climbing over the fence himself. The fence only went up a little past their waists and it must have appeared comical, for two seventeen year olds to be hopping the fence to a rundown playground. Akashi hands the bag over to Kuroko and effortlessly climbs over the fence, following Kuroko towards the playground structure where they sit down on the platforms.

"What is the point of this?" Akashi questions and Kuroko shrugs, telling Akashi to 'just go along with it'. He pulls out the small tub of ice cream from the bag first and hands one spoon to Akashi, keeping one for himself.

"Dessert first?" Akashi snorts in amusement and Kuroko glares at him to be quiet as he pries off the lid and takes a scoop of ice cream, savoring the sweet vanilla that melted on his tongue. Akashi takes a spoonful as well, though much less enthusiastically, and one taste of the sweet vanilla has him trying not to gag.

"It's much too sweet," Akashi setting his spoon down and Kuroko sticks his tongue out at him.

"More for me then. To eat all by myself."

"I'd like to see you try."

"If it's vanilla, I can eat it all."

"Uh huh." Akashi takes a bento out of the box, picks up the chopsticks, and takes one bite of the cheap store rice.

"It's awful," he whines and Kuroko rolls his eyes.

"Has Mr. Rich Boy never had a convenience store-bought bento?"

"...Yes."

"Oh. I forgot to ask," Kuroko says, pointing his spoon at Akashi's knees. "You wear knee pads?"

"Hmm? Oh, yeah. It's actually a knee support," Akashi shrugs. "I trained a bit too hard awhile back and messed up my knees a bit."

"Seriously?"

"Satsuki nearly gave me a beating for it when she found out and she was ready to strap me down when I said I wanted to try an alley-oop anyways."

Akashi's dedication surprises Kuroko once more and he thinks about how much more there was to the red head than his arrogance.

"Was Satsuki..."

Akashi laughs at this, shaking his head. "Definitely not. She's a close friend who likes to keep me in check."

They lapse back into silence and by the time Akashi's half done with his proclaimed awful bento, Kuroko's barely a quarter way through the ice cream that only felt like it was getting heavier in Kuroko's hand. Too much ice cream, he thought gingerly. I never thought I'd say that.

"Oi," Akashi says. He picks up a piece of meat and holds it up to Kuroko's mouth. "Eat actual— if you can call this actual— food."

Kuroko stares apprehensively at the meat and puts down the ice cream, mouth closing around the chopsticks and he feels his cheeks flush slightly. While he's eating, Akashi reaches a hand out towards Kuroko's face and wipes the corner of his mouth with his thumb, Kuroko sputtering.

"You had ice cream by the side of your mouth." Akashi snickers at Kuroko's flustered reaction.

"Oh..." Kuroko mutters, embarrassed that he had been caught so off guard by Akashi. He reaches for the ice cream again and takes another small spoonful. Akashi furrows his brows at the sight of Kuroko eating even more ice cream.

"You should - mmfff!" Akashi's interrupted by Kuroko shoving the spoonful of vanilla ice cream into his mouth and his eyes widen in protest. He swallows the ice cream, coughing slightly after, aiming a glare at Kuroko. Kuroko only sticks his tongue out at him again. Akashi looks away, back down at the bento in his lap. He mutters something incoherent, and Kuroko only picks up an indistinct 'stop..' but doesn't catch the rest.

"What was that?" he presses and Akashi pauses for a minute.

"I said stop being so annoying," Akashi mumbles, shifting away and Kuroko feels something in his heart drop.

"Okay," he replies numbly. He looks at the ice cream in his lap and decides that there was no chance for him to finish all of it, setting it aside and uttering a silent apology for the wasted treat. He isn't quite in the mood to eat anymore; he had really wanted to get on good Akashi's side — he really had wanted to be able to be Akashi's friend, but he always seemed to mess up somewhere, somehow.

They eat their bentos in silence and finally, Akashi sighs heavily.

"Sorry," the redhead mutters awkwardly. When there's no reply from Kuroko, Akashi furrows his brows.

"Oi. I said I was sorry for being an ass."

"Kuroko, don't ignore me."

"Tetsuya!"

Akashi's voice seems to grow increasingly distressed with Kuroko's growing silence and finally, a hand flashes out, cradling the latter's cheek and turning his face to face his.

Kuroko's eyes widen, surprised at the redhead's sudden action, who moves his hand to Kuroko's shoulder and looks downwards slightly.

"Look," Akashi begins, voice sounding unusually tentative. Soft, even. "I'm sorry. For everything. For being an ass to you all the time. You've been nothing but good to me and I've been unfair to you. So can we...can we start over?"

Two teenagers sitting on a preschool playground with the setting sun behind them and a bento between them must have seemed comical to any passerby, but Kuroko's taken aback by the sincerity in Akashi's eyes when he lifts his head to meet heterochromatic eyes, and for a moment, he's at a loss of words.

He waits for a 'just kidding', 'hah, Tetsuya, I can't believe you actually fell for it' or any sort of withdrawal from Akashi but the red head remains steadfast.

"That...that would be nice."

Akashi drops his hand from Kuroko's shoulder and fumbles to gain hold of his chopsticks again, the two of them returning to their silence. This time, the silence is different. It wasn't awkward and stifling, but rather, tentative, and while a long shot from comforting, it felt familiar.

The evening was closing in on them, the last light leaving the sky. Kuroko stuffs the empty food wrappers and plastic trays in the plastic bag, tossing the entire thing in a nearby trash can while Akashi watches him. He walks back over to Akashi and wordlessly tugs on the latter's arm to pull him up. Akashi stands up and Kuroko starts walking away, Akashi trailing behind. They hop back over the fence and the creaking of the chain link fence is the only sound the rings in the silence. Every movement, every sound seemed louder — the shuffling of their feet, the rustling of the leaves, the sound of Akashi absentmindedly dribbling the basketball behind Kuroko as he walked along.

The sound of the dripping stops abruptly and there's a few rushed steps as Akashi catches up to Kuroko. The redhead takes a shaky breath, glancing awkwardly at Kuroko before reaching his arm out. Kuroko feels a hand brush against his hand and a pinky hooks around his own. Kuroko looks up in surprise to see Akashi looking away slightly, a faint pink dusting his cheek and Kuroko almost thinks that it was just the evening lighting playing trick on his eyes.

He looks back down to their hooked pinkies and Akashi looked as if he wanted to say something. Kuroko offers him a small smile as a response to let Akashi know that it was okay.

They walk the rest of the way in silence and linked hands — Kuroko even dares to swing their hands back and forth for a bit and suppresses a giggle at Akashi's bemusement. He's not sure why Akashi chose to link their hands, but he's sure there's some reason behind it, a thing he did with other friends, Kuroko guesses and something warm in his chest blossoms at the thought. They reach the house and Kuroko's about to pull away when he suddenly remembers the morning ordeal for Akashi and how broken he had looked when he talked about losing people.

"Hey," Kuroko says softly. "I'm going to let go, okay?"

Akashi's eyes widen a fraction, not from alarm or hurt, but rather in surprise, before it fades into a look of brief appreciation as he nods, unhooking his pinky.

"Why...why'd you ask?" Akashi questions quietly and Kuroko shrugs.

"Because I wanted you to know. And I wanted you to be okay with it. I'm guessing the hand holding thing is something you do with your other friends?"

"Yeah." Akashi blinks in surprise and he scratches the back of his neck awkwardly. "Satsuki and Reo do it sometimes, and uh, well you know."

Well you know, equated to Akashi's ex-girlfriend, Kuroko knew and he veers away from the topic before he can tread on any more thin ice.

"Thanks for trusting me, then."

"Idiot," Akashi says, exhaling a laugh. "It should be me thanking you."


	6. burning red

There's a warm hand on Kuroko's shoulder, shaking him back and forth gently to wake him up.

"Tetsuya, wake up," Akashi murmurs. "It's late."

"Late...?" Kuroko echoes, shifting his position slightly.

"Wake up," Akashi repeats, without giving so much of an explanation. Letting out a quiet groan, Kuroko sits up and rubs the sleep from his eyes. Peering at the numbers of his alarm clock, his eyes widen when he sees the red numbers on his alarm clock. Six in the damn morning. _Betrayal,_ his mind seethed. _Betrayal, that's what this was._

"Go away, Akashi-kun," Kuroko deadpans. He's about to lie back down in bed when a hand catches his shoulder and stops him. Akashi's grip on Kuroko's shoulder tightens by a fraction and he huffs, blowing his bangs out of his eyes. The blinds are only half open, early morning light filtering in through the slanted Venetian curtains and illuminating the room. Perhaps it was his crankiness at being woken up too early and dearly missing his sleep, or the lack of proper lighting in the room, but he can see the crinkled lines of Akashi's face, a troubled look adorning the redhead's face.

"Oi. You said you'd listen to me if I ever needed you to," Akashi says. "And I have something to say."

"Does it have to be at six in the morning?"

"Yes."

"You are rather demanding."

Akashi cracks a smile. "Yes, I've been told that."

With a tiny bit of reluctance, Kuroko kicks his blankets to the edge of the bed and pats the space next to him for Akashi. Akashi's weight dips the bed slightly and somehow, it felt just right. Akashi draws one knee up to his chest and placing his hands on the drawn up knee, he rests his head and flashes Kuroko a half smile. There's a pregnant pause filled by the silence of the ticking clock on the wall. Kuroko waits.

"I wanted to say," Akashi says seriously, eyes half lidded and lips thin, "that I am craving pearl milk tea."

Kuroko's jaw drops. Pearl milk tea. _Pearl milk tea._ It's six in the morning. Kuroko had forgone his sleep in lieu of a city brat's craving for a four hundred yen drinks with pervasive boba and tapioca pearls dotting bottom. Akashi's half smile had slipped off his face and instead, a faint smirk visible in the half-light tugged at the corner of his mouth.

" _You-_ " The scream dies in Kuroko's throat and he lets out a strangled noise before grabbing a pillow and smacking Akashi in the face with it. "You absolute -" he smacks Akashi with the pillow again and hopes that the other boy felt pain from being smothered by a pillow because he deserved it, "-pretentious brat, how _dare_ you wake me up to tell me you want milk tea!"

Akashi holds his arms up to defend himself, and somewhere between his smirk and smile, a barely contained laugh is let loose. His laugh gets louder and less repressed until Akashi is shaking, doubled over in laughter. Kuroko ceases his assail when he hears Akashi's laugh. It's a horrendously, disgustingly melodious sound that sounded so innocent, it pulled at Kuroko's heart and all Kuroko could do was stare pathetically at Akashi. He lacks subtly, staring dumbfoundedly at Akashi like it was his first time seeing the sun, but when Akashi laughs, he practically glows.

"Why are you staring?" Akashi asks, his voice breaking Kuroko out of his stupor. "Am I just so undeniably attractive that even the unbreakable Kuroko Tetsuya has fallen in lo - ow!"

Ashamed that he had blushed at Akashi's word, Kuroko effectively cut the other off with a hard punch to the gut and he remembers with pride that he could Ignite-Pass-Kai-Punch a person just as if they were a basketball he was sending flying over to the other side of the court. It works. Akashi remains doubled over, this time groaning in pain.

"You need to lower your ego," Kuroko grumbles. "You owe me something now, for being a total ass."

Chuckling, Akashi reaches an arm out to tangle his hand in Kuroko's locks. Does this count as payment?" he asks, using his fingers to untangle the many knots in Kuroko's hair. He's gentler with his fingers than he is with a hair brush and Kuroko finds the feeling foreign, but definitely not unenjoyable.

"Absolutely not," Kuroko retorts, but he leans into Akashi's touch anyways, eliciting a huff of amusement from the red head.

"I'll buy you milk tea," Akashi offers, changing his position slightly so that Kuroko could rest his head on Akashi's shoulder. Kuroko does so with reluctance, tensing to wait for the moment where Akashi would pull back and snicker but it doesn't come. His shoulders relax and he breathes in Akashi's scent, musky with sleep.

"Yeah...but that's too easy."

"I'm not going to grovel at your feet, if that was what you had in mind."

"Close. I was thinking specifically of kowtowing and proclaiming your inferiority."

Akashi flicks the back of Kuroko's neck for his remark. "Maybe in another lifetime, then," Kuroko muses.

"I'd be really unfortunate to meet you in two lifetimes," Akashi laments. And everything, a precarious card tower, barely holding itself in the wind had tumbled down, breaking into another game of fifty-two pick up. Akashi's words cut like paper on skin: thin but sharp, and echoes of his jibe ripple through the air. The silence seems to grow heavier with each passing moment as neither of them say a word, mouths half open with unformed words. Kuroko's smile drops a tiny bit and he clenches his fist slightly, nails digging crescents into his palms, but he plasters on a tiny wavering smile that's barely there. Akashi's hands stop working through Kuroko's hair and he opens his mouth before closing it again.

"Shit," Akashi mutters.

And halfway between Akashi's plea of 'I'm sorry' and Kuroko's reassurance of 'it's ok', their words tangle and intermingle into another incoherent jumble.

"I'm - crap - I'm sorry. I didn't mean it-" Akashi repeats, his voice distressed.

"It's ok." Kuroko drops his shoulders.

"I'm sorry," Akashi repeats, his lips curving into a lopsided apologetic and sheepish smile. "I always mess things up somehow with my words."

"It's fine," Kuroko reassures. The words stab but somehow, Akashi's expression pulls more heart strings than the words. When Akashi still looks unconvinced, Kuroko adds, "If you want to make it up to me, keep brushing my hair."

Akashi's fingers resume threading through Kuroko's hair and Kuroko's not sure what bothers him more: Akashi's gentleness as if he was afraid he was going to break Kuroko, or his tentativeness in the way Akashi felt as if he had to repay Kuroko's benevolence towards him.

"I'm sorry," Akashi's words and expression make him almost comparable to a wilting flower, with the way they become smaller and quieter, as if Kuroko was about to take back his forgiveness at any moment.

"I know. And that's why it's ok."

* * *

Just the day before yesterday, Kuroko's parents had announced that they would be leaving briefly to visit relatives in Osaka. They'd be gone for a few days, they said, there was food in the fridge, money on the counter, phone number on the table, don't open the door for strangers, be good, stay safe, have fun! They had left the night before and with a lack of responsible adults, breakfast becomes warfare. What had started with what they should have for breakfast had snowballed. Kuroko held a battered recipe sheet that they had found on the internet, pinching the corner with two fingers to avoid the stains and spills it had accumulated, reading it aloud.

"One-fourth cup tofu...one half cup chopped green onion, one-fourth cup of nori _seaweed_ -"

In his other hand, he shakes the seaweed packet ominously enough to have Akashi worried.

"Kuroko Tetsuya, put that seaweed down - _get that shit away_ from the miso soup, I don't care what the hell the recipe says!" Akashi snaps. Ignoring him, Kuroko opens the pack of seaweed slowly and deliberately, procuring a piece and dangles it over the pot of boiling water.

"Should've let me sleep more if you wanted favors," Kuroko sings and he drops the first piece of seaweed in. Akashi looked as if he wanted to fling miso paste and bonito over Kuroko.

"Perfectly good miso soup with tofu," Akashi says woefully, _"ruined."_

"I was only kidding," Kuroko shrugs, zipping the bag of seaweed back up. "I won't add all of it. If you were really desperate, begging would have worked."

"Are you really that desperate to get me on my knees, Tetsuya?"

"What, how _dare_ \- Innuendos aren't appreciated!" Kuroko sputters, reopening the seaweed and dumping all of its contents into the pot. Akashi's expression grows increasingly horrified as the pieces of seaweed drift into the pot. Snickering at his victory, Kuroko puts the lid of the pot back on the soup and smiles angelically.

"I wasn't thinking those kinds of thoughts," Akashi says, staring at the soup. "I shouldn't have pushed it, huh?"

He sighs. "Are you going to let me starve?"

"No," Kuroko agrees amicably. His grin is merciless. "I think there's bread in the fridge for your breakfast."

* * *

It's after lunch that Akashi sidles up to Kuroko on the couch in the living room, taking one of Kuroko's hands in his own. Kuroko takes two seconds to assess everything: Akashi's winsome smile, Kuroko's hand in his, half-lidded eyes - and that's all he needs to know that Akashi wants something from him.

"Tetsuya," Akashi says. "You promised we could get pearl milk tea."

"No, I didn't."

"Well, I want tea."

"Buy it yourself."

"I don't want to go alone."

"Find some girl on your way there, or something. Or a guy. I don't know."

"Tetsuya, I want you to come with me."

"Is this some kind of date?"

"No."

"Then...?"

"I just want to be able to do something for you."

"I think dragging me to go buy tea is more of a favor for yourself than it is for me."

"What can I say? I'm an opportunist."

Kuroko weighs his options but with the way Akashi stares at him intently, Kuroko's opinions have long flown out of the window in this matter. _Democracy? In a friendship like this? Ridiculous,_ Kuroko thinks sarcastically.

They're out of the door and walking towards a cafe in less than five minutes after Kuroko's agreement, Akashi's eagerness the source behind their rush. Akashi hooks his pinky with Kuroko's while they're walking, again, and offers Kuroko a sheepish smile. He lets go when they reach the cafe. The small cafe with a chalk sign placed outside advertising the daily special, sold the best - and only - milk tea in the town. It was a cramped place, with two small two seat tables outside and a booth or two more inside.

"It's nice that to be able to go to a cafe that's not crowded with people and has lines sprawling around the block," Akashi comments, pleased. Even so, as they scan the drink selection, Kuroko knows it's not nearly as extensive as anything in the city can be. Akashi, however, didn't seem to mind. They order their drinks and as promised, Akashi pays for Kuroko's drink and Kuroko rolls his eyes at Akashi's supposed gentlemanly act.

"It was only three hundred sixty five yen, no need to act like you just gifted me the world," Kuroko jokes. They take their drinks outside and sit down. Behind them, a pair of girls followed them out of the shop, both of which Kuroko recognize from his class, despite never having talked to them. They're giggling and pushing each other towards Kuroko and Akashi.

"Kuroko-kun!" one of them calls, waving brightly and Kuroko gives her an awkward half-wave in return. The other one runs up and clutches his arm and pulling him away slightly, whispering something in his ear.

"Who's that with you, Kuroko-kun?" the girl asks, her eyes traveling to Akashi. "He's cute."

"Forget cute, Hana-chan, he's _hot_. Will he be a new student? Did he just move in?" the other demands, her hands pressed together like a prayer.

"Uhm..." Kuroko supplies awkwardly. The girls eagerly wait for his response, Hana-chan tightening her grip slightly so that her fingers squeeze Kuroko's arm gently.

"Kuroko-kun, he doesn't have a girlfriend, right? Please say he doesn't!"

"He's not a new student," Kuroko clarifies, clearing his throat in annoyance. "He's only here for the summer...and as for a girlfriend..."

"Don't tell me. He does, doesn't he?" Hana-chan says, her gaze darkening. _Oh,_ Kuroko thinks. He remembers her name, Hanasaki. He vaguely recalls an incident where she had tried to break a couple up out of jealousy.

"He doesn't, but..." Kuroko says, eye twitching in annoyance. Something about the girls' behavior irked him, the way the girls had talked about Akashi as if he was a doll on a shelf of a carnival game, a prize to be won if they schemed hard enough. It might not be in his best interest to speak for Akashi, but Kuroko knows that despite the redhead's bold and flirtatious nature and his attempts to pretend he was over his heartbreak, the last thing Akashi would be looking for was another shallow relationship. He could introduce them to Akashi with the pretense of attempting to distract the red head but Akashi's far from stupid and far too proud to admit he wasn't as okay as he appeared to be.

Kuroko can guess the events now: Akashi'll flirt around a bit with Hanasaki, claim that she's exactly his type in the courteous way that he tells everyone the same thing, but clearly not his type enough because he won't give her his number. He and Akashi will go back home and Akashi'll sit outside on the porch swing, missing his ex-girlfriend, wondering why one of his best friends didn't think he was good enough. Wondering why he had lost a person who was supposed to care about who he was and how he hated all those shallow girls like Hanasaki who were only interested in his looks, his status and remembering his ex-girlfriend was the same way...

Afterwards will come the self-loathing again - he's never told Kuroko but Kuroko can see it in the way Akashi worries endlessly over being perfect and the way his knuckles turn white when he does something wrong. How Akashi genuinely apologizes, with a quiet but sincere sorry and a dip of his head which everyone else would assume was for respect - but Kuroko knows its so they don't see the fear in his eyes, so terribly afraid that the other person will never forgive him because _why would they, he's so awful, he messes things up_ \- is what Akashi probably thinks, if Kuroko was to take a guess. He saw it this morning.

Akashi fakes being okay, a lot of the time and lies about being tired before heading to bed early. All it takes is for Kuroko to walk to their shared bedroom and stand, hand over the doorknob, wondering whether or not to enter when Akashi's faking sleep. Faking, again, faking sleep because even outside, Kuroko can hear the restless shuffle of blankets and Akashi never moved in his sleep.

Kuroko's so caught up in his train of thought that Hanasaki has to shake his arm to snap him out of it. For a moment, he's scared at how well he knows Akashi already. A little over a month had passed since Akashi had come and the two of them had only started getting along recently, but yet...He had already picked up on Akashi's little quirks and knew that the redhead's actions spoke much louder than his words did. Even if Akashi didn't tell Kuroko much, it wasn't hard to learn by just observing either.

"What was that about a girlfriend, Kuroko-kun?" Hanasaki implores. Her voice is honeysuckle sweet, luring Kuroko to give her the answer she wants. He's supposed to answer no, and so even if Akashi did have a girlfriend, Hanasaki could play infidelity off as simply being misinformed.

"But he's not interested," Kuroko answers coldly.

"Oh," the other girl's shoulders droop in disappointment. She picked up on Kuroko's callous tone. "Come on, Hana-chan. Let's go, then."

"Bu-" Hanasaki protests. She glares at Kuroko as if he was the one who had ruined everything. _You would have ruined things even more,_ Kuroko thinks bitterly.

"Let's go," the other girl says firmly, pulling Hanasaki away from Kuroko. "Thank you, Kuroko-kun."

When they leave, Kuroko walks back to Akashi, who was sipping his drink, having watched the scene afar in mild amusement.

"It's rather rude of you to send your admirers off so curtly like that," Akashi comments. Kuroko picks up his straw and stabs it through the cellophane wrapper of the drink a bit more forcefully than necessary and his upper lip curls in contempt.

"Not my admirers," Kuroko sneers. "Yours."

"Mine?" Akashi looks genuinely surprised and he sets his drink down. "I...they didn't say anything bad did they?" he asks, laying down his words carefully.

"No. They did beg me to introduce them to you and they wondered if you were a new resident. I told them you weren't interested." Kuroko flicks the cellophane cover of his drink, the plastic crinkling.

"Oh. Thanks." Relief is evident in Akashi's voice and Kuroko knows he made the right choice.

 _Since when did you, Tetsuya,_ Kuroko thinks privately as the two of them sip their drinks in silence, _start to consider that Akashi was someone who should be valued much more than his appearances? When did you start to value Akashi so much?_

When they finish their drinks, they head back to the convenience store, partly to visit Michiko and partly to buy what would become dinner in a few hours.

"Oh, hey you two. It's been awhile since you've come," Michiko greets, ringing them up for two bentos.

"It's only been a week, Michiko-san," Kuroko huffs in amusement.

"You used to come here every day with Kagami when he was still around," Michiko points out. "Pretty sure the convenience store doubled its earnings those months."

"Yes, that does tend to happen," Kuroko says gravely. "Would you like to eat lunch with us, Michiko-san?" He holds up the two bentos.

"Ah, no, sorry, I have to work my shift," she sighs, drumming her fingers on the table. "Akashi, can you go check something for me? Yeah, just check if those are still on the shelf...right over there.." She watches Akashi walk off before leaning in closer to Kuroko. "Hey, you know, Ogiwara told me something interesting the other day," she whispers. "Two things, actually mind you. One about Akashi and the other -"

"Yes?"

"Did you know that tomorrow, -"

"They don't have any more on the shelves, Michiko," Akashi interrupts, returning with the slip of paper in his hand.

"Ah..ah..is that so," she says hastily, crumpling the paper and throwing it away. "Thanks, Akashi."

"Sorry, Kuroko," she whispers apologetically, patting his hand. "I'll tell you some other time."

* * *

"Wake up."

Somewhere, deep in his consciousness, there's a voice in the back of Kuroko's head insistently telling him to get up from bed, yet again. But the voice's nagging is shrouded by the clouds of sleep and drowned out in favor of the warmth of Kuroko's bed. The voice persists, repeating itself, this time louder: "Wake up, I said."

In one swift jerk, the blankets are abrutly ripped off of Kuroko after his failure to successfully comply to the voice's demands. Kuroko instinctively curls tighter in a ball to make up for the lost warmth, mumbling incoherent protests.

"Stop it, Akashi-kun," Kuroko moans, half his words strung together in an indistinguishable slur. In his still half-asleep state, he buries his face in his pillow. There's a short pause followed by a snicker and some shuffling.

"I'm not Akashi," the voice sing songs.

Confused, Kuroko cracks one eye open and he can just barely make out a hazy figure standing over him at the edge of his bed with hair too orange to be Akashi's crimson locks.

"Ogiwara-kun, why are you here?" Kuroko's eyes feel heavy, lidded with sleep. The numbers on his alarm clock blend together in a red blur and Kuroko's left trying to distinguish between a 'four' and a 'nine', and a 'five' and an 'eight'. In a last ditch attempt, he grapples for the clock on the bedstand, fumbling to get a good look. Five fourty five. The little PM dot in the corner was unlit...Five forty five. In the damn morning. Not this again, Kuroko thinks feebly, turning away from Ogiwara. "Go away."

"Rise and shine," Ogiwara grins and even with the lights off and the blinds closed, it's as if the room had just lit up. Kuroko winces. Ogiwara's voice sounds like sirens, so early in the morning. Any noise that wasn't complete silence before seven in the morning should be illegal, Kuroko thinks grumpily.

"Give me my blanket back," Kuroko mumbles, clawing at the air and reaching for the bundle in Ogiwara's arms, who drops the blanket to the ground, much to Kuroko's dismay. "How did you even get in here? There's no way my parents are awake - come to think of, you never reach my house before six thirty on your usual paper route..."

Kuroko's half expecting Ogiwara to give some twisted, concerning answer that involved "breaking in through a window" or "picking the lock of the door to your back porch". Ogiwara smiles knowingly and procures a lanyard out of the back pocket of his jeans. On the end of it, a silver key glints in the darkness, swinging back and forth. Unfortunately, Kuroko recognizes as the spare key his mom had tucked under the flower pot all those years ago, even if no one in the family had touched it since.

"Screw you. You don't go around stealing people's spare keys to wake them up at ungodly hours of the morning."

"It's not like you ever told me where it was. I found it," Ogiwara retorts, sticking his tongue out. "Underneath the left flowerpot. Really, couldn't you think of something less obvious?"

"The welcome mat is the most cliche."

"Yeah, but you don't even _have_ a welcome mat."

"Go away," Kuroko groans, uncurling from his balled up state and spreading his limbs out on the mattress to try to stretch. The sleepy fog clouding his mind had cleared now and after rubbing the sleep from his eyes, he's finally able to regain his bearings. Sleep clung in the air and across the room, sheets rustle. Kuroko turns his head towards Akashi's bed only to see that the other boy was still asleep and comfortably swaddled in blankets.

"Why don't you go bother him instead?" Kuroko hisses, leaning over the side of his bed and blindly reaching for the blankets that had been tossed to the floor. His hands brush soft fabric and he stretches his fingers a little farther to curl around the material before Ogiwara forcibly tugs the blankets away from Kuroko's grasp, moving them further out of reach. "Nooo," Kuroko complains, "let me sleep."

"Come on, we have things to do today," Ogiwara says, ignoring Kuroko's pleas.

"Uh huh...I don't recall having made plans." Kuroko squints at the calendar across his room. He knows that there's no need to look at the pitfully blank calendar that had nothing but slashes through the days that had passed and the date of a new book release circled in blue pen. Adventurous, he thought sarcastically.

"Yeah, well, you do now." Ogiwaras voice carries an air of finality and Kuroko knows that the moment Ogiwara had found the dirty spare key and jostled it around in the door lock, his fate for the rest of the day had been sealed. Ogiwara strides over to Akashi's bed and turns back to wink at Kuroko. "Now, this'll be fun. Best way to wake him up?"

 _"Don't,"_ Kuroko offers. "Let the both of us sleep."

"Kuroko, oh Kuroko," Ogiwara tsks, squatting down in front of Akashi's bed. "I'm disappointed that you forgot what today is." He places his fingers near his lips and Kuroko's eyes widen in horror.

"Ogiwara-kun, not in the house, not this early -"

"Kuroko," Ogiwara says, interrupting him, and throwing him an amused glance. And just before he whistles, he adds, "Kagami's coming back today."


	7. but what can i say about you

As soon as Ogiwara whistles, Kuroko stumbles out of his bed in a rush, nearly falling to his face in his haste as he clings to Ogiwara, shaking him and bombarding him with questions that spill from his lips. Akashi jolts awake with a start, half kicking the blanket off. It only takes two seconds for Akashi to discern Ogiwara snickering, curses flying out of his mouth.

"What do you mean Kagami-kun's coming _back_ , he never told me, he never said, he—he said he wasn't going to come back this summer!" Kuroko blurts, everything spilling out at once, his voice growing higher with distress and confusion.

"Hey, hey, calm down," Ogiwara reassures, resting a hand on Kuroko's shoulders. "Take a deep breath."

"Fuck you, Shigehiro," Akashi curses in the background, but he goes largely ignored. Unfortunately for Akashi, he's not half as threatening when he still looks half asleep and his hair sticks up in so many ways that it makes him look like a cat that had discovered static electricity. "Why do you have to go waking me up, as well?"

"You deserve it," Kuroko interjects, crossing his arms across his chest. "Do you not remember yesterday, Akashi-kun?" Piercing blue eyes stare Akashi down until the redhead finally caves in, huffing in defeat. "Why didn't he tell me, Ogiwara-kun?"

"He wanted to surprise you," Ogiwara shrugs, scratching his chin. "Come to think of it, I kind of feel like I shouldn't have told you at all. Would've made the surprise more grand."

"Liar," Kuroko breathes. "Why didn't I, why did he, oohh that kid is going to get it." Back before Kagami had left last summer and they had exchanged promises, sealing it with a fistbump, Kagami had told him: _I'm going to Los Angeles, he had said. I won't be coming back next summer._ Five summers together and Kuroko would have to spend this one alone...But now, hearing that Kagami would be coming back after all, his heart pangs with indescribable joy. "There's no way, is this for real...?"

"What the hell is going on?" Akashi mutters, annoyance lacing his tone. _"Kagami?_ " His voice sharpens when he hears the name.

"Kagami's coming back! I'll finally have good company!" Kuroko sings gleefully, raising his fist in victory.

Crimson eyes narrow and Akashi purses his lips."Kagami — Kagami Taiga?" he asks. Surprised, Kuroko's nods his head tentatively. There was no doubt that the two red heads were talented, national level players that were both highly praised and sought after, but the two of them knowing and talking in real life seemed too weird to Kuroko.

"Huh," Akashi says. The sheets around him wrinkle a bit as his hands clench at the bed cover for a fleeting second "I met him at Nationals, last year."

Ah. That made sense. Kuroko hadn't watched Interhigh or the Winter Cup last year, nor had he bothered to research the opposing team that went against Kagami's school. He hadn't even touched basketball magazines, for fear of sentimentality and nostalgia striking too close to home. Had he only walked to the convenience store to pick up Basketball Monthly, flipped through the pages, scanning for red and have stopped at the a large glossy picture of a redhead that was not Kagami, but a boy with beautiful heterochromatic eyes and a piercing glare. _Larger than life, Akashi Seijuro,_ the caption would have read, along with details about his natural basketball talent, how he had led his team to victory. Maybe, Kuroko would have even admired Akashi from afar, and longed to be like a player as good as him. But now, Kuroko can only nod dumbly at Akashi's words. There were so many things in the city that he had missed out on and that he had never bothered to catch up on. Did Kagami grow taller? Did he win games often? What number was his jersey? Could he jump higher now? Did he still eat twenty burgers? Questions spill in Kuroko's head and they don't stop.

Akashi continues, "It'll be interesting to see him. His team put up quite a fight in the Interhigh last year. Although, my school emerged victorious in the end. After all, I never lose."

"Yeah, yeah, you're absolute" Kuroko waves dismissively. He doesn't have time to listen to any of Akashi's self-proclaimed monologs about being the greatest. The only words that echo in his mind so prominently now are Kagami's coming back, Kagami's coming back. It meant staying up late watching Space Jam. Cooking a dinner that could feed four between the two of them. Eating ice cream cones and buying so much from the convenience stores that they've built a little reputation for themselves. All those little things that he associated with summer but had been impossible without Kagami's presence were suddenly all within reach again. "What time is he arriving?"

"Seven. In the morning." Laughing at the shock on Kuroko's face, Ogiwara claps him on the shoulder. "Well, you have one more hour until he comes. Aren't you glad I came to wake you up now?"

"My parents —"

"—aren't here. Remember?"

"Oh." Caught off guard for a moment, he feels rather sorry for his parents. Having left for Osaka, they had unknowingly succumbed themselves to their worst nightmare: including Ogiwara, they had left four teenagers under the same roof, without adults.

"You're really not lying about Kagami-kun coming back?" Kuroko demands again, confirming the truth.

"Relax, Kuroko. Your light is coming back," Ogiwara laughs. "Who knows for how long. One day. Two days? I'm kidding, I'm kidding, he's staying for almost the rest of the summer."

"Oh my god—"

"Yeah, well, get dressed. You, too, Akashi, oh come on, no need to look at me like you want to murder me, I'm just trying to lighten the mood — okaaaaaaaay, I'll be downstairs making breakfast!" Ogiwara hastily walks out of the room after he sees Akashi's expression, giving a brief, cheery wave before slamming the door shut.

Akashi eyes the door in disdain before standing up and stalking over to the closet. Kuroko sits back down on the edge of his bed, and he can't stop the smile from stretching across his face until he's grinning himself silly.

Across the room, Akashi makes a noncommittal grunt and slams the closet door open, ripping his clothes off the hangers with more force than necessary.

"Is everything okay, Akashi-kun?" Kuroko asks, raising an eyebrow when Akashi takes off his shirt and flings it to the ground, almost angrily.

"Yes," Akashi replies evenly. It's almost impressive, how well Akashi can conceal things with his voice. Almost. To Kuroko, it hurts in more ways than one. "I'm just a bit unhappy at being woken so early in the morning for, for—"

"For?"

"A — an—" Akashi drops his shoulders slightly before finishing his sentence, as if there was something he had held back from spitting out, before picking up his shirt from the ground."Forget it," he huffs, "I shouldn't have said anything. Sorry. Forget it."

"Do you—"

"Hey," Akashi says, flinging a shirt at Kuroko's face. "What are you still chattering for? Get dressed. Your best friend's coming, right?" He offers an amiable smile and Kuroko drops the topic, seeing how quickly Akashi's mood had changed.

Kuroko holds up the black shirt in his hands and very carefully points out, "Akashi-kun, this isn't my shirt." Akashi freezes for a moment at his blunder before he reaches inside the closet to pull out a new shirt for Kuroko.

"Shit, well then, don't touch it. You'll contaminate it," Akashi jokes, flinging the new shirt at Kuroko. "Here, toss my shirt back."

"Your shirt is rather nice," Kuroko comments offhandedly, ignoring Akashi's comment. He runs his hands down the soft fabric and looks at back of shirt and rolling his eyes when sees 'Calvin and Klein' emblazoned on the tag. Trust Akashi to have a fancy wardrobe filled where even his t-shirt cost more than Kuroko's whole outfit. "Actually, can I wear this instead? It's much nicer than my shirt."

"It—It'll be too big," Akashi says, a bit too quickly. There's a tinge of pink splashed across his cheeks that's barely noticeable and Kuroko almost mistakes it for a trick of the light.

"You're only a couple of centimeters taller than me."

"Black isn't your color."

"I've been told I look fantastic in black, thank you very much."

"It'll be weird," Akashi lies. Kuroko narrows his eyes at how transparent Akashi was being.

"I don't think so," Kuroko shrugs. "Kagami-kun lets me wear his clothes a lot."

"I—what?" Akashi asks, swallowing thickly. He averts his eyes and stares resolutely at his closet. "Fine. Wear it, then, since you're so insistent."

A small smile adorning his lips at his victory, Kuroko changes out of his own shirt and slips on Akashi's own. It was very nice.

As he plays with the hem of the shirt, waiting for Akashi to finish changing, Kuroko glows at the knowledge that he'd no longer had to grit his teeth, counting down the days privately, wallowing in self-pity and loneliness without Kagami. It would no longer be a summer without someone to share ice cream with, to play basketball with, to...

His head snaps up when he sees Akashi walking out of the room and out of impulse before he can stop his mouth, Kuroko calls him back. _Oh,_ he thinks, biting his lip.

"Yes?" Akashi asks, glancing over his shoulder, hand hovering over the door knob.

"I'm really glad," Kuroko says, beaming, "that you came this summer, Akashi-kun."

* * *

It's already six fifteen by the time Akashi and Kuroko walk into the kitchen for breakfast.

"What's for breakfast?" Kuroko asks, surveying the kitchen.

"That is a good question," Ogiwara agrees, folding his arms.

"You didn't make anything," Kuroko deadpans.

"Well," Ogiwara starts. "I actually just wanted to get out of the room before Sei-san killed me."

 _"Don't call me that."_

" _I_ think it's cute," Ogiwara supplies unhelpfully. Akashi looks like he wants to strangle something.

"Anyways," Kuroko says, pulling Akashi back a bit. "Breakfast. We can do this. I have pancake mix and fruit and eggs."

In the end, they decide that Kuroko's in charge of the eggs, Akashi the pancakes, and Ogiwara, the fruit.

"I want my eggs sunny side up," Ogiwara says.

"Okay," Kuroko agrees.

"I want mine scrambled," Akashi calls, flipping a pancake in an annoyingly perfect fashion.

"No," Kuroko says.

"Wh —"

"Rejected!" Ogiwara shouts, tossing an apple core into the trash can.

"I'll make Akashi-kun's egg sunny side up since he's always such a frowny brownie," Kuroko mocks, cracking an egg and watching it sizzle.

"What?" Akashi asks incredulously. "I'm not a sad dessert!"

"Smile, Akashi-kun, it makes you look so much better," Kuroko laughs.

"Excuse me," Akashi grumbles, pouring more batter onto the pan. "I _always_ look good."

"Say, Kuroko, I just noticed this but," Ogiwara says, peering at Kuroko. "That shirt's kind of big on you. You sure you bought the right size?"

In the middle of flipping the pancake, Akashi jerks the pan back and the half ready pancake falls on the stove with a splat. Akashi stares at the half sizzling pancake, the back of his hand pressed to his mouth as he looks down.

"Sei-san, don't be so clumsy — hey, are you ok? You're, like, really red—"

"Ogiwara-kun," Kuroko chimes in warningly, although his voice is laced with amusement.

"Oh my gosh, are you blushing, Sei-san —" Ogiwara raises an eyebrow, eyes darting between Akashi and Kuroko and he sees that both of them seem equally embarrassed; Akashi's face red and Kuroko seemingly very focused on making eggs. A smile unfurls.

"Shigehiro, I'll personally see to your murder if you don't shut up right now," Akashi growls, turning the stove off and peeling the pancake off the surface of the stove.

"Sooorrrrry," Ogiwara drawls, returning to the apple he was cutting and whistling.

By the time they're done cooking, it's six forty and Kuroko was getting restless in his seat. He pokes at his breakfast, shoving the food around but refusing to eat any of it. His stomach's making tumultuous flips and with each passing second, he's sure his heartbeat is growing louder. Every few seconds, he throws a not-so-furtive glance at the clock until Ogiwara finally butts in that time wasn't going to move faster if he kept staring the clock down.

Kuroko half inhales his breakfast in the end, shoveling pancakes and eggs down his throat in such a fashion that even Ogiwara looks concerned for his health. By the time it's six fifty, Kuroko all but throws his plate into the sink with a clatter, washing his hands hastily and running into the living room where he plants himself in front of the bay window, looking outside at the driveway.

"He's that excited?" Akashi says in disbelief, glancing over at Kuroko from the dining table.

"Yeah, they're like...the bestest of friends," Ogiwara shrugs. "Kagami's helped Kuroko through some of his hardest times, you know. Kuroko was heartbroken when Kagami said he was going to pursue basketball at a high school in the city...but he would never hold Kagami back."

The two of them are quiet, except for the scraping of forks against the plates before Akashi clears his throat and breaks the silence.

"Did they ever," Akashi asks, fork halfway to his mouth before he sets it back down as if having second thoughts, "uh. Date."

"Hmm," Ogiwara hums. "I'm not sure."

"Oh," is all Akashi says at first. And then: "Is Kagami going to be staying here?"

"Yeah, probably," Ogiwara says, draining his glass of orange juice in one go. "He has his own apartment and everything, that his parents never really sold, but it gets lonely. Plus, Kuroko's parents adore him."

Suddenly, from the living room, Kuroko gives a half-suppressed shriek of excitement, rushing to the door and unlocking it in a haste. Akashi and Ogiwara exchange glances before following Kuroko to the door, where he had run out without shoes, colliding with a tall, red-haired figure making his way up to the driveway with a suitcase in tow. Kuroko flung his arms around Kagami, hugging him tightly and Kagami grunts in surprise, chuckling as he hugs back.

"Hey man," Kagami greets, patting Kuroko's back. "It's good to be back. You smell like the country." Kagami laughs, as he lifts Kuroko up slightly so that the other boy's feet dangled off the ground. Tears prickle at Kuroko's eyes for the briefest moment before he blinks them back, welcoming Kagami's embrace.

"Yeah, well, you smell like home," Kuroko says, smiling so wide it hurts his face. Kagami lets go of Kuroko and the two of them exchange a small fist bump before making their way back to the house where Akashi and Ogiwara stood at the door frame.

"Woah. Akashi Seijuro. In the flesh. Here, in the country," Kagami says in surprise, peering at Akashi. "Still can't believe that you're here with Kuroko. I thought he was lying when he first messaged me."

"Kagami Taiga," Akashi greets smoothly, holding out a hand that Kagami takes. "I didn't expect to see you again until the next tournament, but you're full of surprises, aren't you?"

"Hey, thanks. You're freaking amazing at basketball. I'm glad I got to play a game with you during the Interhigh. Woah, Ogiwara! What's up!"

"We've missed you, Kagami," Ogiwara grins, all teeth. He knocks his knuckles against Kagami's own as well.

"Yeah," Kagami says, taking a deep breath. "It's good to be back."

"Now there are two city boys," Ogiwara says, nudging Akashi a bit too hard.

"Ow! — Oi, don't jab me in the ribs for no reason—" Akashi hisses, kneeing the back of Ogiwara's own knee.

"Yikes," Kuroko says, watching Ogiwara buckle slightly and try to regain his balance before falling down. "Kagami-kun, come in, and please don't step on Ogiwara-kun."

"Man, even spending all that time in the city, I really do prefer Japan's countryside," Kagami says, stepping into the house. "Maybe even over Los Angeles, and they have _In-n-Out."_

"Speaking of which, what did happen to going to Los Angeles?" Kuroko queries. "I thought you were going to get extra training."

"I did go," Kagami corrects, "I only stayed for a month, though. And then Alex kicked me back to Japan."

"Fancy that," Ogiwara says, jumping back on his feet. "I thought you would have wanted to stay in America as long as possible to play more basketball."

"Yeah, well, I told her—" Kagami glances at Kuroko out of the corner of his eyes with a warm smile, "—that I had to go see someone. She followed me here to Japan, though."

"Alex, huh?" Akashi muses, leaning against the door frame and crossing his arms, "Your coach?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah," Kagami confirms, looking over at Akashi at surprise. "You're the first person that hasn't assumed she was my girlfriend, or something."

"I have a friend who moved to Los Angeles, who knows Alex. He's told me about her," Akashi says with a shrug. "I must admit, I'm envious that you're able to receive such high level training."

"Hah, me and Tatsuya practically had to beg her back when we were little kids...Come to think of it, oi, you're enough of a monster without being trained by a NBA player. Hey, I won't lose to you again, you know!"

"Do you ever think about anything other than basketball and food," Ogiwara mutters.

Akashi's eyes flicker, traveling across the room for the briefest second before returning Kagami's gaze coolly. "Rest assured, I have no intention of losing either," he says, his lips curling into a small smile. "I look forward to spending the summer with you, Kagami Taiga."

* * *

"There are three of us and two beds," Kuroko says, as the four of them stand in front of the bedroom. "One of us sleeps on the floor."

"I'll sleep on the floor," Kagami offers, scratching the back of his neck. "I don't mind. It's summer anyways."

"But—" Kuroko protests, wringing his hands at their predicament. "I can sleep on the floor. You two are the guests after all."

"There's a couch downstairs," Akashi says, crossing his arms. "I'll sleep on that. Okay?"

Kuroko blinks at Akashi's selfless offer. His eyes narrow when he sees Akashi digging his nails into his arm the tiniest bit.

"Akashi-kun."

"I wouldn't want to intrude on your reunion," Akashi clarifies, smiling almost painfully.

"You wouldn't be," Kuroko says firmly. "I'll sleep on the floor."

"Two people could share a bed," Ogiwara says."Although, that would kind of be uncomfortable...trying to share a twin bed."

"I'm fine with the floor," Kuroko says in exasperation. "It's alright."

"If you're sure..." Kagami trails off when he sees Kuroko's expression. "Okay, okay, we get it."

"We should do something," Kuroko suggests, changing the subject "Staying in the house will be pretty boring."

"Let's go to an arcade!" Ogiwara pipes up, eyes brightening.

"We could play basketball," Kagami chimes in.

"Going to the park wouldn't be so bad either," Kuroko muses. "We could play frisbee or something."

They lapse into silence, no one wanting to give up ground on their proposed activity. Finally, Akashi breaks the silence, impatiently suggesting that the three of them play rock paper scissors. Kagami grins, cracking his knuckles and Ogiwara even rolls up his sleeves in preparation. It takes several competitive games with cursing before Ogiwara emerges victorious.

"You cheated, didn't you. You had to have!" Kagami says, staring in disappointment at Ogiwara's palm and down at his closed fist.

"Kagami-kun, you always throw in a pattern," Kuroko sighs. "Rock, scissors, rock, paper."

"I do?" Kagami blinks in surprise, glancing at his hand. "Fancy that."

"Arcade it is!" Ogiwara shouts, pumping his fist in the air. "Who's bringing money?"

"Idiot, don't go proposing to play games if you don't have money to spend on them!" Kagami grumbles, still disgruntled from losing in rock paper scissors to both Ogiwara and Kuroko.

"Heyyyy, Kuroko, my bestest friend, friend of friends—" Ogiwara sidles up to Kuroko.

"Nice try," Kuroko says. "Go find someone else to kiss up to."

"No worries," Ogiwara says, refusing to be put down just yet. He walks over, linking an arm with Akashi. "I have Sei-san."

"What the hell?" Akashi gapes, looking scandalized. He tugs his arm out of Ogiwara's stubborn hold. "Do I look like some kind of a sugar daddy—"

"You know," Ogiwara interjects casually, "Kuroko, the other day Sei— "

He doesn't get to finish his sentence as Akashi knees the back of Ogiwara's knee, yet again, this time much harder. Ogiwara crashes to the floor with a yelp as his leg gives out on him.

"Ouch, twice in one day?" Kuroko says, voice devoid of sympathy.

"You were saying?" Akashi says sweetly, looking down at Ogiwara, his voice dripping with threats and malice. Ogiwara merely laughs.

"What were you saying, Sei-san?" he fires back. Akashi purses his lips.

"...That I'll pay for your stupid games," Akashi relents and Ogiwara beams.

* * *

"Oh my god, a crane game!" Ogiwara shouts, ushering the other three boys towards the small game in the middle of the store, filled to the brim with stuffed animals. A group of kids were situated around another one right next to it, inserting coins into the slots and shaking the joystick everywhere that every attempt ends in a comical fail, the jaws of the crane missing every time.

"You act like it's your first time seeing one," Kagami snorts, shoving his hands into his pockets. "Nobody wins these things."

Stuffed bears with black button eyes stare at the teenagers through the glass, as if daring them to try their luck. Eventually, Ogiwara silently slides a coin into the machine and it lights up red and blue, the claw ready to move and the countdown clock starting.

"Go, Sei-san," Ogiwara cheers, pushing Akashi to the front. "You never lose, right?"

"Unfair," Akashi grimaces, though he takes a hold of the joystick.

"No way he can do it. These things are rigged," Kagami says confidently.

"You're just upset because you lost seven hundred yen at these machines last year," Ogiwara dismisses.

"Yeah, but you lost a thousand!"

"I don't know what you're talking about, you rice cracker."

Forty five seconds later and a few curse words uttered under his breath for the consideration of the kids right next to them, a teddy bear tumbles out of the machine and Akashi holds the toy up smugly.

"Ugh," Kagami says, looking rather peeved. "I'm pissed that I'm actually quite impressed."

The kids crowding around the machine next to them stand, shocked, as they look enviously at the bear in Akashi's hand.

"He got it in one try!" one of them squeals, peering over her friend's shoulders.

"Did he cheat?"

"Maybe he can do like, magic, or something," a boy grumbles. They shove each other around, poorly attempting to hide behind the machine, out of Akashi's sight, each of them coming up with 'fathomable' explanations for how Akashi had won the crane game so easily.

Kuroko coughs, catching the kid's attention, and he pushes Akashi forward, towards the kids.

"I'm bad with kids," Akashi protests quietly, trying to give the bear to Kuroko. Kuroko immediately pushes it back into Akashi's hands, giving him another shove.

"Oh no, he heard us," one of the boys says fretfully. "Is he mad at us for thinking that he cheated?"

Akashi crouches down to get eye level with them, and he gives them a soft smile.

"I'm not mad," Akashi clarifies, and he holds out the bear to the boy. "Here, you can have it."

"O—oh...are you sure, mister?" the boy glances at the bear tentatively, hand half outstretched before he decides to double check Akashi's confirmation. When Akashi nods, the boy squeals in glee, snatching the bear and hugging it close to himself. "Thank you, nii-san!"

"Nii-san?" Akashi blinks. He's momentarily speechless. "Well, it's no problem. What are your names?"

"I'm Takeshi," the boy says. "That's Ruri-chan and Kenta-kun." He points to the boy and girl half hiding behind him, who give shy waves in return.

"Hey, do I get a toy too?" Kenta pipes up, hopeful. Akashi turns his head back towards Kuroko, mouthing 'help, what do I do' and Kuroko giggles. He had forgotten that there were three kids and only one bear.

"Of course," Kuroko says, bending down next to Akashi.

"What," Akashi and Kenta ask in unison. "Really?"

"Akashi-nii-san is more than happy to win more toys for both you and Ruri-chan," Ogiwara chimes in, his voice teasing.

"I—" Akashi interjects, only to be cut off again.

"Thank you!" the kids chorus, eyes wide in excitement.

"Right," Akashi deflates, defeated by a couple of eight-year-olds, giving them a small smile. "Of course."

He turns back to give Ogiwara a death glare before walking back to the crane machine.

"Kagami, why don't we have a competition?" Akashi proposes, brandishing another hundred yen coin from his pocket and tossing it to Kagami. "First one to get a stuffed animal wins."

"You're on!" Kagami grins, stepping in front of the game. "Ready—"

"—set—"

"—go!"

A minute later, both of the red heads were holding teddy bears, hotly debating who had won the contest. Kagami looked considerably proud, having finally won the game on a whim and refused to back down. Ogiwara and Kuroko refused to interfere with their own opinions.

"I got mine in seconds before yours," Kagami protests.

"Mine came out of the machine first," Akashi retorts. "Which means I'd have to have dropped it in before you."

"Shh, it's ok," Ogiwara says placidly, patting the two of them on the shoulder. "We're all winners!"

"Ew," Akashi says, crinkling his nose. "That's so—"

"—did you hear that, we're all winners. Wait until my dad hears!" Takeshi beams to his friends, relaying Ogiwara's words. Something softens in Akashi's eyes, and he shuts up after hearing Takeshi's words, effectively ending the argument.

"Here you go," Akashi says, handing the bear to Kenta who cheers in joy. Ruri receives her from Kagami and she immediately unties the ribbon from her hair to tie around the neck of the bear. The kids thank them again, before dashing off to some other section of the arcade. The teenagers were left, standing there and arguing over where to go next. They cycle through the different options: video games, carnival games, ring toss, before finally settling on basketball. While Kagami and Ogiwara attempt to race each other to the mini game, Kuroko strolls along with Akashi.

"You're pretty nice after all, you know," Kuroko says. Akashi furrows his brow.

"If only I was as good as of a person as you think I am," Akashi shrugs. "Ow! Did you just pinch me?"

"No self-deprecation today," Kuroko scolds, jabbing Akashi in the ribs. "Or ever, preferably. But we'll start out with baby steps."

Akashi lets out a breathy laugh before flicking Kuroko on the forehead. "You're too good for me — _ouch!_ I'm _complimenting_ you!"

"You can do that without degrading yourself," Kuroko sniffs. "For instance: you're really kind. Or something like, I think you're really cute."

"I think you're really cute," Akashi echoes.

"Ah, I didn't mean to repeat after me..." Kuroko trails off. "Oh, whoops, come on! We're losing Kagami-kun and Ogiwara-kun." He pulls Akashi along and wills himself not to turn back because he doesn't think he can take the humiliation if Akashi was to catch the faint blush on his cheeks.

"You're really kind," Akashi repeats, talking to Kuroko's back, as he follows him through the arcade.

"Stop mimicking me," Kuroko murmurs, ears red. Akashi places a hand on Kuroko's shoulders, stopping him in his tracks.

"I wasn't," Akashi says, his low and serious. "I meant it."

"Which part of what you said?"

"All of it."


	8. what you're looking for

The four teenage boys stood outside a dagashi shop, peeking inside, where hundreds of brightly packaged snacks sat on the counters, neon colors and kiddish mascots on the wrappers greet their eyes. Quiet fills the shop, although the noisy whirring of the air conditioner could be heard from the back room. Kuroko raps his knuckles on the door, waiting for an answer that doesn't come. Despite the lack of reply, Kuroko slides the door open more, stepping inside the shop. He and Kagami immediately gravitate towards one corner of the shop, clearly familiar with what they wanted to buy. Akashi stands apprehensively at the door frame, Ogiwara prodding him.

"Oh come on!" Ogiwara laughs, "have you never been inside a dagashi shop before?"

"There aren't any in the city," Akashi says defensively, "and even so, I'm not the biggest fan of sweets."

Ogiwara merely rolls his eyes and places his hand on Akashi's back, urging him into the shop. Akashi's first instinct is to follow Kuroko's lead, but the other boy was off on the other side of the shop, pouring over some candy with Kagami. A frown makes its way across Akashi's face, and he stands in the middle of the shop dumbly for a few minutes before striding over to one of the shelves. Menko cards and plastic toy figurines lined the higher shelves, but having no particular interest for cheap sweets or toys, he only stares at the umaibo section with about as much fervor as separating grains of rice. Bored, his hands move to the back pocket of his jeans, pulling out his phone. Neglect to reply had led to an onslaught of text messages that clogged up his notifications. He swipes across the screen, dismissing all of them, save for one. Snapping a picture of the dagashi shop, he sends the attachment to Momoi, along with a cursory explanation of his situation, ending with a plea of 'help?' and just seconds after sending the message, he receives a reply. Momoi's a lot of things in Akashi's life: she's always there at his side, helping him stay steady, and there had never been a day where she could disappoint. Yet, when he opens her message, he can only read it in confusion.

 **Momoi:** akashi-kun! you lucky boy!

Just a few months ago, a girl had presented Akashi with a box of chocolates for Valentine's day and he had immediately passed it onto his teammates, despite their protests that it wasn't chivalrous to regift chocolates. So there was no doubt that Momoi was aware of his apathy towards sweets; there was nothing she didn't know, and nothing she said without intention. A chill creeps up his spine and a foreboding sense of doom curdles in his gut.

 **Akashi:** please explain

 **Momoi:** www the guy with the blue hair in the picture you sent me is seriously cute!

Opening the picture again, Akashi notices that Kuroko and Kagami had indeed made it into the side of the picture. He automatically presses the delete button, but his finger hovers over the confirmation, before canceling his action.

 **Akashi:** when i asked for help i wasn't referring to tetsuya but rather about what to do about being in a sweets shop

Akashi glances around. Still preoccupied with their own candy hunts, the other boys make no indication of leaving any time soon, so Akashi slides the shop door open, slipping outside. A vending machine stood next to the store, humming gently. It's a more desolate part of the town where only the bugs bother to keep him company. Heat waves dance in the distance, the air stifling and sticky like taffy, but Akashi had no business going back in the shop at the moment either. Inserting a hundred yen coin into the vending machine, he punches the button for iced tea, feeling unusually irritated. The drink drops out of the vending machine and Akashi picks it up, striding over to the nearby bench, only to nearly drop his drink when he reads Momoi's messages.

 **Momoi:** he is very cute

 **Momoi:** tetsuya isn't a last name is it

 **Momoi:** first name basis! cute. very cute.

 **Akashi:** satsuki...i call you by your first name? i fail to see your logic

 **Momoi:** akashi-kun were you not aware that we are like the #1 friendship power couple

 **Momoi:** the other day i asked a boy out for ice cream and he turned me down bc "akashi-san is really scary. like really scary. i'm on the basketball team. and i don't want to die more than i already do at practice"

 **Momoi:** which is really sweet, i appreciate that you always have my back but how do you retain a threatening presence WHEN YOU'RE NOT EVEN HERE

 **Momoi:** THAT BOY WAS REALLY CUTE :(

 **Akashi:** who is this boy.

 **Momoi:** see.

 **Momoi:** ANYWAYS this is off topic

 **Momoi:** tetsu-kun is very cute pls say hi to him for me and give him my love! reo says hi as well! and hayama says 'thank you, god. i will die less this summer bc akashi isn't here to make me run 3092 laps during training.' takao says 'yo, don't die!' and midorin said 'i hope he's dead'. :o

 **Akashi:** remind him that our shogi record is 52 to 3

 **Momoi:** he's right here next to me. he says 'die' and that he 'hopes hell takes you back'

 **Momoi:** go make your move, akashi-kun! we're rooting for you. if you chicken out you owe us all ramen when you get back :)

 **Momoi:** lets hope he isn't dense bc it only counts if he knows!

 **Momoi:** if you chicken out can i have him www

Momoi's a lot of things and terrifying is definitely one of them. But, Akashi thinks, shaking his head, her message is nothing short of ludicrous.

 **Momoi:** oh, and please buy me some caramel dice!

"I'm guessing you don't like sweets."

Akashi jumps slightly at the sudden voice behind him, nearly spitting out the tea he had been sipping. Switching his phone off hastily, he turns around to face a curious Kuroko. "You really need to stop sneaking up on people, Tetsuya," Akashi chides, slipping his phone back into his pocket. Kuroko rolls his eyes, not amused by Akashi's unoriginal line, taking a bite out of the fugashi in his hands. "You did, however, guess right. Did you already pay for your candy?"

"I left money on the counter, if that's what you mean." Kuroko jerks his head back towards the shop. "You should've told us if you were going to leave. So, who were you texting, if I'm allowed to be nosy?" Kuroko asks casually, taking another bite of the fugashi. Akashi raises an eyebrow, nearly denying that he had been texting at all, but no ruse would be able to shake Kuroko from his tail. He taps his fingers on the side of the can, listening to his nails clink against the aluminum to draw out the conversation.

"Satsuki," he answers, after a few more moments. "She wants me to get her caramel dice, whatever those are."

Nodding, Kuroko tugs on Akashi's arm in order to get him to stand. The can of tea is only half finished but Akashi picks it up and tosses it in the trash, following Kuroko's lead. He's pulled over to another shelf in the shop where a jar of candy packaged in boxes that looked like dice sat on the lowest self, marked for five yen each. Akashi takes out one of the boxes, opening it and unwrapping one of the caramels. He holds it up in front of Kuroko's mouth.

"Open up, darling," Akashi drawls in a silky voice and smile sweeter than the caramel, that would make girls squeal and Momoi proud of him for his charm. Kuroko, however, scowls slightly and knocks Akashi's hand aside like he was no more than a bothersome fly. Momentarily surprised by Kuroko's rejection, Akashi chuckles and plops the caramel candy into his own mouth.

"Don't call me darling," Kuroko deadpans.

Blue eyes study Akashi's actions carefully as he takes a handful of the caramel, digging through his pockets for any loose change and walking over the counter.

"Bored?"

There's no anger or annoyance that laces Kuroko's tone, no undertone of accusation but his slight frown, furrowed brows, narrowed blue eyes, are all devoid of innocence. Akashi doesn't reply for a moment, feeling slightly guilty. Walking up the counter, he counts out the coins while Kuroko's gaze bores holes in his back. He even takes care to separate them out neatly, into little stacks, biding his time. When he's done, he turns around with a small smile.

"No," he says at last. It wasn't a complete lie, at least. Kuroko throws him a disbelieving look.

"Not bored with nothing to do," Kuroko corrects. "You have your phone, I know. I meant, bored of us."

"I know what you meant," Akashi says evenly. "My answer remains the same."

"So nothing's bothering you?"

"I never said that," Akashi shrugs. Momoi's word flash through his mind again, replacing his tentativeness by the looming threat of having to pay for some seven or more bowls of ramen. His wallet could handle it. His pride, however, could not. Crooking a finger, he beckons Kuroko to come closer and when the latter does, albeit suspiciously, Akashi leans forward, wrapping a hand around Kuroko's wrist. Shooting him a teasing look, Akashi guides the fugashi in Kuroko's hands to his own mouth and takes a bite of it. Kuroko's reaction is immediate, jerking his arm away from Akashi's grasp.

"Hey! Get your own, you spoiled city brat," he protests, cradling his snack protectively like a child with their teddy bear.

"Sorry," Akashi says, voice low and not the least bit sorry, "I am, indeed, a spoiled city brat." He looks up at Kuroko through half lidded eyes before continuing, his voice almost a purr. "And being a spoiled brat, I'm not used to having to _share_ anything."

"What?" Kuroko blinks in confusion, looking down at his fugashi. "You can't share what's not yours to begin with! And what does this have to do with what's bothering you?"

Closing his eyes and sighing in temporary defeat, Akashi leans back against the counters, resting his elbows on the top.

"What is it now?" Kuroko asks. Akashi opens one eye lazily to stare at Kuroko.

"Ramen costs about eight hundred yen a bowl, doesn't it?"

* * *

Teenage hunger and laziness sits on the kitchen counter in the form of Chinese takeout, oily boxes stuffed to the brim with fried rice and vegetables, noodles, teriyaki, tofu, and orange chicken. Next to it sat a too heavy plastic bag full of the treats from their purge at the dagashi store. Late night summer heat had seeped into the house and with the air conditioning broken rendering them unable to sleep, the boys spent their time lounging around the house, draped over couches, laying on the floor, and trying to avoid the heat.

"I'm hungry," Kagami said, looking up at the ceiling, rolling over onto his back on the floor. "But it's past twelve in the morning."

"Go cook something then," Kuroko replied, rather snappishly as he stands, sticking his head out half of the window.

"Enough," Akashi grumbled, "I'm ordering Chinese takeout, you'd better have a twenty-four hour takeout place around here."

Now, they stood, congregated around the kitchen table, where a dozen or so movie DVDs had been spread out. Rummaging through drawers and ransacking closets, the house had been upturned in order to procure Kuroko's movie collection that seemed elusive as the owner of the movies himself.

"We're watching Pirates of the Caribbean. Anyone who disagrees can suck it because I paid for your Chinese food," Akashi announces, holding the DVD up.

"Could it be," Kuroko gasps, "that Akashi-kun is actually a huge nerd?"

"Don't be ridiculous," Ogiwara interjects, "there's no _'could be_ a huge nerd', it's ' _is_ a huge nerd.'"

"Is your sole purpose in life to torment me?" Akashi mutters under his breath, smacking Ogiwara across the back of his head.

Snatched by greedy hands, the food is claimed and moved over to the living room, the bag of sweets dumped on the coffee table where the treats piled into a small mountain. Half hurdling over the couch, Ogiwara stretches out over all three cushions, leaving no space for anybody else. Catching the drift, Kagami claims the arm chair for himself, leaving Akashi and Kuroko the floor. Kuroko shrugs and sits down, back against the couch and takeout in his lap. Akashi joins him, though he sends a nasty glare towards Ogiwara who flashes him a thumbs up.

When the characters in the movie were stealing a ship, Kuroko glances at Akashi, who was staring intently at the screen with fondness written across his face, food by his side, forgotten. Shifting forward slightly, Kuroko steals a piece of Akashi's orange chicken, Akashi's eyes never moving from the screen. Gloating at his silent victory, Kuroko makes move to take a bite of the chicken but a hand flashes out to stop his hand.

"Why, thank you, Tetsuya," Akashi murmurs before leaning forward and eating the piece of chicken from Kuroko's chopsticks. "If you were so intent on feeding me, you could have just said so."

"I wanted to feed myself," Kuroko corrects, pulling his chopsticks out of Akashi's mouth.

"You can't even finish your own food." Akashi points at Kuroko's portions which had barely moved since the beginning of the film.

"Your food tastes better," Kuroko whines, using his chopsticks to poke around his fried rice and beef teriyaki, so flavorful that Kuroko was sure that if he ate the box, he wouldn't taste a difference. "I should've ordered what you got."

"We can switch."

"But then I'd feel bad..."

Akashi's eyes light up just the tiniest bit and he pats the space in front of him like an invitation. Eyeing the invitation apprehensively and wondering if it was something akin to a death sentence, Kuroko scoots over anyways.

"Turn around," Akashi orders and Kuroko does, his back facing towards Akashi. Uncrossing his legs, Akashi wraps his arms around Kuroko's waist, pulling him towards his chest so he sat between Akashi's legs.

"Wait - Akashi - what are you-" Kuroko's a spluttering mess at the close proximity, tendrils of a blush blossoming and unfurling across his face. He struggles in Akashi's hold, embarrassment flooding him.

"Stop moving," Akashi scolds, one arm reaching for his box of Chinese food, the other still around Kuroko's waist. He shoves the Chinese food into Kuroko's hands and rests his chin on Kuroko's shoulder, reaching over the latter's chest to take another piece of chicken. "Now we can share."

"Does it have to be like this?" Kuroko hisses, his face redder than Akashi's hair.

"I hope not, you guys are so gross," Ogiwara mutters from above them.

"Keep your eyes to yourself, then," Akashi retorts. "Like Kagami."

"Gross, _so_ gross," Ogiwara repeats, pretending to puke, before turning back to the movie. "Just stop beating around the bush."

"The real question is," Kagami interjects, "why you think that's a good idea when it's so hot already."

"Is this something you do with your friends too?" Kuroko squirms slightly, trying his best not to choke on his heart that found it's way into his throat. Mortification pricks at him, poking fun at his current situation and Kuroko wonders how he'll ever survive. His only solace, the Chinese food, pacifies him some, and Kuroko considers it quite sad that he was willing to trade his pride for a few pieces of chicken and noodles.

"Kind of," Akashi answers vaguely. "No need to feel so embarrassed, it's nothing new."

Kuroko settles down a bit after that, leaning into Akashi's chest gently to test the waters, before resting completely against the other's chest. His hands are wrapped around the container of food possessively, sometimes even denying Akashi his pick of food.

"Don't be rude, Tetsuya," Akashi whispers, blowing in Kuroko's ear when Akashi had lost to a chopstick faceoff and Kuroko had successfully swiped Akashi's chicken from him. Kuroko ducks his head, shrieking slightly in surprise and clamoring away from Akashi slightly. Spotting his opening, Akashi reaches for a piece of tofu, but before he can retract his hand, Kuroko grabs his wrist, eating the tofu.

"Oi, who's the spoiled brat now?" Akashi growls, tickling Kuroko's side.

"It's not my fault you were so intent on spoiling me, Akashi-kun," Kuroko says, looking up cutely at Akashi, lashes fluttering.

"Nice try," Akashi says, arms tightening around Kuroko's waist, "eat my tofu again and we're done."

When Akashi wraps his arms around Kuroko tighter, Kuroko finds it hard to breathe but as Akashi's grip loosens again, he finds it even harder. Kuroko moves slightly, knees knocking Akashi's own, and Akashi, catching the cue, shifts so Kuroko could be more comfortable. Touched by his thoughtfulness, Kuroko finally offers Akashi his pick of food. Akashi fails to be as impressed by Kuroko's act of generosity.

Even after the Chinese food is done and set aside, Kuroko doesn't move from his current place.

Somewhere between Jack Sparrow and the part about Will Turner, the movie faded into the background as Akashi's close proximity began to take center stage of Kuroko's attention. Kuroko's sure he hears screaming coming from the movie but he's sure the internal part of him is yelling even louder. Slow and steady, Akashi's heart beats, and it irks Kuroko how composed Akashi is. His breath hot on the Kuroko's nape, Kuroko finds it's the only heat he doesn't mind in the current weather. Even the way Akashi smells is dangerously intoxicating, overwhelming, and Kuroko found himself resisting the urge to turn around and bury his head in the crook of Akashi's neck, like how Akashi was doing to him, for payback. Under the assumption that Akashi was a lot more engaged in the movie than Kuroko himself, Kuroko discards his plan for revenge, sure that Akashi would only remain calm. Maybe even tease Kuroko, and after a moment, Kuroko's glad he hadn't gone through with his original plan, having saved himself from any more humiliation.

At one point, when the characters had been fighting in the moonlight on the ships, skeletons and humans against one another, Akashi had pulled out his phone, his arms draped across Kuroko's chest and his phone in a position where both of them could see the screen. Surprised that Akashi dares to open up his texts when Kuroko could so easily read them, Kuroko realizes that it was Akashi's way of saying he was comfortable and didn't mind. Not wanting to miss the precious chance, Kuroko plucks the phone out of Akashi's hands who huffs in amusement as Kuroko taps on Momoi's contact. Akashi turns his attention back to the movie while Kuroko focuses on the phone in front of him.

 **Akashi:** hello, momoi-san, i've heard a great deal about you from akashi-kun

 **Momoi:** oh my god! are you the kuroko tetsuya i've heard so much about

 **Akashi:** i am

 **Momoi:** www nice to meet you! how did you get your hands on akashi-kun's phone?

 **Akashi:** he let me, surprisingly enough

 **Momoi:** :ooo you are a lucky lucky boy, tetsu-kun! akashi-kun usually doesn't let anyone touch his phone

 **Momoi:** did akashi-kun get me my caramel dice

 **Akashi:** he did, no need to worry momoi-san

 **Akashi:** he said that if he didn't 'he'd have to face hell's fury' which i think is pretty impressive

The more Kuroko texts Momoi, the more he finds himself liking the upbeat girl, laughing quietly at some of the things she sent. He leans forward slightly to obscure the phone from Akashi's view, out of precaution so Akashi wouldn't notice his attempts to cajole Momoi into disclosing Akashi's dearest secrets. Slowly, he eases into an upright sitting position, hunched over the phone, farther from Akashi until arms wrap around Kuroko's waist, pulling him back into the warmth of Akashi's chest. Kuroko looks up to see the redhead's displeased expression.

"Where do you think you're going?" Akashi frowns. Glancing down at his phone, his eyes widen as he scans the screen, reading what the two had been chatting about. He catches the words 'wild', 'bed', among others that makes him regret any previous decisions in trusting Kuroko with Momoi. Akashi's hands grapple for the phone until he finally wrestles it out of Kuroko's insistent grip, yet again using one arm to keep Kuroko still and prevent him from retrieving the phone and outstretching the other out of Kuroko's reach to text a furious reply to Momoi.

 **Akashi:** satsuki, i trusted you

 **Akashi:** how could you tell him all this

 **Momoi:** oh is this akashi-kun

 **Momoi:** pls give the phone back to tetsu-kun! i want to talk to him more D:

 **Akashi:** excuse my rudeness, satsuki, you're near and dear to my heart, but: fuck off

Akashi scrolls up slightly and pales when he sees some of the pictures Momoi had sent Kuroko from her camera roll. Among them, one featured him and Kise, both dressed in suits with their hair slicked back and staring into the camera.

 **Akashi:** YOU SENT HIM THAT PICTURE?

 **Akashi:** i thought we agreed to burn that picture.

"I never knew you modeled, Akashi-kun," Kuroko giggles and Akashi pinches Kuroko's side, only making Kuroko laugh more.

"I don't," Akashi huffs, "it was only one time, when Ryouta needed an extra for a modeling shot."

"You were handsome," Kuroko assures. "But not as much as Kise-kun."

Akashi pauses. "Did Satsuki tell you to say that?"

"Maybe," Kuroko hums. "Or maybe it's my own opinion."

"Bullshit," Akashi says. "You think I'm devilishly attractive."

"No, I-" Kuroko denies it with vehemence but Akashi holds up the phone in front of his face, smugly pointing to the text Kuroko had sent Momoi just minutes ago.

 **Akashi:** he is kind of cute

 **Momoi:** its ok tetsu-kun everyone has a little crush on akashi-kun

"I said 'kind of cute' not 'devilishly attractive'," Kuroko protests. Akashi's phone buzzes with new messages from Momoi.

 **Momoi:** language, akashi-kun, language :)

 **Momoi:** now stop harassing tetsu-kun and give him the phone back so i can talk to him

"Are you even still watching the movie or are you just flirting?" Ogiwara interrupts from the couch. Akashi and Kuroko crane their necks to glare at him.

"We're not flirting!" they argue in unison.

"Yes," Ogiwara says, nodding, "I can now see I was right. Even a brick wall is more observant than you two."

"It's not that weird," Kagami pipes up from the arm chair, attention never wavering from the movie. "I grew up around Alex, though. Everything seems platonic after that."

"Yeah, but, come on. It's almost like watching a trashy romance movie," Ogiwara says, "and I'm not sure which one is worse."


	9. set everything on fire

Smoke.

When Kuroko wakes up, his body feels uncomfortably warm and sticky underneath blankets that smell strongly of mothballs. Resigned to the living room couch, Kuroko had to pull out blankets with teddy bear patterns from the depths of his closet and it had been a miracle he had been able to fall asleep at all last night, with the smell of mothballs wafting under his nose. Now, in the early morning - or what Kuroko hopes is the morning; he curses at how late the four of them had stayed up last night - the smell of smoke overpowers even the mothballs.

A few seconds later, the sound of the smoke detector kicks in, ringing through Kuroko's ears, and making his entire head hurt. He isn't remotely awake enough for this, he thinks.

Kicking the blankets off immediately, Kuroko tumbles off the couch, glancing around the living room. Nothing appeared to be on fire. He rubs his eyes, blinks the grainy sleep out, and checks again. Nothing burning. In his haste, he trips several times as he rushes down the hall into the study. Nothing burning there either. Then he checks the bathroom, and even the tiny hallway closet. Still nothing.

The last place downstairs and perhaps, the most likely, where he should have checked first, Kuroko scowls, scolding himself mentally as he rushes down the hall, is the kitchen. The kitchen light is turned on, indicating someone else's presence - either that, or fire, Kuroko thinks cynically - but as he rounds the corner, bursting into the kitchen, he doesn't see a fire. The smoke makes his eyes water and what he does spot is a thin column of smoke rising from the toaster on the kitchen counter.

"Akashi-kun?" Kuroko asks incredulously, ogling at the red headed culprit standing next to the smoking toaster. Akashi jumps, his back having been turned to the entrance of the kitchen, and his phone nearly slips out of his grasp. He turns to face Kuroko with unblinking, unperturbed eyes, as if he hadn't just made the toaster cough out half a room full of smoke. "What in the world are you doing?" Kuroko chokes out.

"Tetsuya," Akashi greets, "Good morning. I'm currently searching up how to make smoke stop coming out of a toaster, of course." He says this as if it's the most natural thing and Kuroko is panicking for absolutely no reason at all. He shoots Kuroko a look that says, _Tetsuya, I've got this under control,_ but obviously, that's far from the case because the toaster starts to make distressing noise and the smoke alarm hasn't stopped beeping for the past six minutes. Maybe some other time, Kuroko would have laughed at the situation, where the great Akashi Seijuro was looming uncertainty over a coughing toaster, looking nothing like a powerful heir and more like a six year old boy who had stolen from the cookie jar and was now facing the stomachache afterwards. But now, Kuroko only feels a migraine larger than the size of Akashi's ego that he's had coming ever since Akashi stepped into the house threatening to settle in.

Shoving Akashi aside, Kuroko storms over, unplugs the toaster, and opens the kitchen windows. A lone loaf of bread sits on the counter.

"Did you seriously burn _toast_?" Kuroko sounds like the calm before the storm and Akashi looks wary. Smart boy, Kuroko decides.

"No."

"I suppose the toast burned itself, then?" Kuroko drags a chair from the dining table underneath the smoke detector, stepping onto the chair to mute the smoke detector's obnoxious beeping.

"You'd be correct."

"You're ridiculous." Hazy with smoke, the kitchen smells like burnt toast and Akashi Seijuro's shame. "Come on, let's wait for the kitchen to air out."

Akashi follows Kuroko out of the kitchen, back to the living room. It's nothing short of a miracle that the neighbors haven't been woken up by the screeching smoke alarm and that there are no firemen knocking down his door, but even more amazing is that Kagami had managed to sleep through the ruckus. Kuroko thrusts open every window as far as he can to try to air out the house before his parents came back. The smell of smoke still clings to Akashi's clothes and he walks around the house, smelling like a barbecue grill so Kuroko pushes him upstairs, ordering him to change.

"Why the hell," Kuroko says, when Akashi comes back down with a new shirt and shorts, at least having the decency to look sheepish, "were you up at seven in the morning trying to burn toast?"

"I wasn't _trying_ to burn toast," Akashi retorts. "I was just - it's good to try new things."

 _New things,_ Kuroko thinks faintly. _This boy has never used a toaster in his life. Do rich people even eat toast?_ The migraine from before is definitely starting to settle in.

"Come on, you can tell me why," Kuroko implores, "I promise I'll try not to laugh. No guarantees though because toast burning stories are always because of stupidity."

Akashi flashes him a resentful look. "Not a word about this incident will ever be spoken again. Not a word."

"I'm going to remember this until the day I die," Kuroko promises. "I'm going to come find you someday, when you're getting married, and I'll go to wedding and I'll tell this story over fancy, expensive champagne and your new wife will never ever be able to take you seriously again because the mighty Akashi Seijuro can't even make toast."

Akashi's face tinges red and while there wasn't a fire burning up the house, there certainly is one spreading across Akashi's face.

"Kidding, I was kidding," Kuroko says, "I won't tell anyone. Except Ogiwara-kun. And Kagami-kun."

"That's everyone!" Akashi exclaims "I was just hungry, okay?"

Kuroko shoots him a dubious look but shrugs. "You could've woken me up. My parents are coming home today, actually. You're lucky they didn't come home to see you in a kitchen full of a smoke. They would have lost it."

"You were tired from last night," Akashi scoffs, "I thought you should get some sleep."

"I'd prefer for you to wake up rather than you burning down my house," Kuroko replies flatly. "And my sleep was interrupted anyways, but thank you for the thought."

"You're vicious in the morning."

Yeah, because it's seven thirty and we went to sleep at five last night, Kuroko thinks sourly, and these past few days, you people keep me waking up at ungodly hours.

"I guess," he replies. "Are you still hungry? After the kitchen's aired out I could make-"

"There's no need," Akashi interrupts, "I'm not hungry. Uh, the incident, made me lose my appetite, I guess."

"Oh. Are you sure?"

"Yes," Akashi bites out. Kuroko's taken aback by his hostile tone that warns conversation ends here. But Kuroko still has more to say.

"Is there something wrong?"

"What? No, why would there be? Don't be ridiculous."

"I said," Kuroko repeats, ignoring Akashi's last statement, "Is there something wrong? You're acting weird again."

"No I'm not."

Kuroko shoots him a contemptuous look, rolling his eyes. "You always say that whenever you act weird."

"Don't be ridiculous," Akashi repeats. "I don't act weird. Don't stick your nose into business that doesn't concern you."

Silence.

And then,

"Do you still not trust me?" Kuroko asks, quietly.

"No!" Akashi blurts out. Blue eyes stare back at him. Embarrassed at his outburst, Akashi back tracks, crossing his arms. Defensive. Again. Kuroko can see Akashi's walls building up again, large and impenetrable and something ugly claws at Kuroko's chest, desperate to be heard and whatever it is, it suddenly gives him the unyielding urge to scream at Akashi.

It feels like nothing has changed at all. Like Akashi's thrown the last few weeks, last night, straight into this morning's almost fire and it feels like their almost something has gone up in smoke and drifted out the open windows.

"There's nothing wrong." Akashi stresses the nothing with such finesse that Kuroko almost misses it. Almost.

"Liar," Kuroko spits. Akashi scowls.

"Don't make false accusations, Tetsuya."

 _No,_ Kuroko wants to scream, because he remembers painfully that he's not Tetsuya to Akashi because of their friendship or close bond but Akashi calls him Tetsuya as a way to mock him, disrespect him. Kuroko tries to swallow that frustration down too and it makes his throat hurt, and his stomach churn.

He scrutinizes Akashi who only stares straight back at Kuroko, eyes defiant and his face a barren wasteland of emotions.

"Okay," Kuroko says, and he tries his final attempt at editing some kind of a confession, emotion, or the smallest reaction out of Akashi: "I'll take your word for it."

Akashi's face remains Victorian-picture stern, chillingly impassive, and Kuroko tries not to feel like someone's punched the airs out of his lungs.

* * *

He walks up the stairs, Akashi following.

Whatever the spat had been about five minutes ago, it was over now. They don't bring it up, moving onto other subjects. Neither of them seemed to be in the mood to stir up a fight.

"You smell like mothballs," Akashi comments from behind him and Kuroko does what he's been doing all morning: just barely manages to swallow down the retorts and ignorance, stomaching them for breakfast. Go me, he think. He wrenches open the door to his ex-bedroom, where the room is still dark and heavy with sleep and Kagami's zombie like state is flung over the bed, twisted among the sheets and blankets. Kuroko steps over to Akashi's bed and promptly collapses onto the mattress, feeling relief seep into his tired body. Now that the disaster has been handled, he wants to sleep for an eternity and ignore Akashi. He pulls the blankets that smell like Akashi over him and hopes the smell of mothballs are rubbing onto the bed sheets and blankets.

"What are you doing?" Akashi demands.

"Quiet down, Kagami-kun's still sleeping," Kuroko says, voice muffled. It's only an excuse to get Akashi to shut up. Kagami could sleep through anything.

Akashi ignores him. "Get off my bed!"

Akashi tears the blankets from Kuroko who holds onto the other end stubbornly, and when that doesn't work, he drops the blankets, grabbing Kuroko's arm in an attempt to drag him off.

"Go away," Kuroko mutters, tearing his arm from Akashi's grasp and curling into the blankets, "I'm going to sleep, and if you wake me up again, I will do you bodily harm."

Akashi leaves him alone after that and Kuroko wakes up again, a couple of hours later. Kagami's bed is empty. The clock reads eleven fifty two. He lays in bed a bit longer, feeling groggy and sticky. The bed grows unbearably hot so Kuroko throws the blankets off, thrashing around in discomfort at the heat, cursing at the lack of air conditioning in the house, and eventually, rolls out of bed. Kuroko walks down the stairs, and peeks into the living room, leery of any head on confrontation with Akashi. The living room is empty, but from down the hall, he can hear the sound of sizzling food that makes his stomach growl and the smell of something delicious wafts over. Perhaps his parents have returned home when he was asleep. All Kuroko knows as of now is that he's simply excited for the prospect of good food.

When Kuroko steps into the kitchen, he looks around for his parents, but instead of his dad sitting at the table reading the newspaper, it's Akashi, who sits on the bar stools near the kitchen counter, scrolling through his phone, and instead of his mom rushing around the kitchen with her flower apron, it's Kagami, wearing a hideous neon green apron instead, darting around the kitchen, his arms laden with ingredients and with none of the grace and ease that Kuroko's mom holds, but it elicits the exact same bloom of fondness in Kuroko's chest.

"Oh, hey, Kuroko, you're up!" Kagami grins. He tries to wave and nearly drops the carton of eggs that balances precariously on the bag of rice and chicken also in his hands.

"What's for lunch?" Kuroko questions. His stomach is speaking for him. "I'm starving."

"We were making lunch," Kagami says. "Now I'm just making omurice. Alone. As in, this guy here -" he jerks his thumb to Akashi who protest meekly, "-is no help at all."

Blobs of ketchup stain the granite counter and when Akashi sees Kuroko staring at the stains, he grabs a handful of napkins, slapping them over the ketchup in a sorry attempt to cover the mess, before nonchalantly returning his attention to his phone.

"You're banned," Kuroko says, turning to Akashi. "You're banned from stepping into the kitchen ever again. That's two screw ups in one morning."

"What was the first one?" Kagami asks. Akashi balks and the bar stool screeches against the floor as he hastens to stand up.

"He burnt toast," Kuroko snickers. At this, Kagami's eyes light up in interest. Akashi pockets his phone faster than Kuroko has ever seen him do before and the next moment, he's walking towards Kuroko who's afraid Akashi was walking over to yell at him, but instead, Akashi pushes past Kuroko, rushing out of the kitchen so fast that Kuroko swears he can feel wind breeze past his face, and he just barely catches profanities and other incoherent words that Akashi mutters under his breath.

"Hey, where are you going?" Kuroko demands to Akashi. The latter doesn't bother stopping, stalking out of the kitchen.

"Out. I'm going out," Akashi says, his voice drifting down the hall, growing fainter and fainter as he walks away, "to the backyard, or something. I don't know. Just. _Out._ "

"What, going to visit Saru?"

There's a pause. "Yeah, sure. I'm going to visit Saru."

The sliding door to the backyard opens, and Akashi all but slams the sliding door shut and there's nothing after that. Kagami turns to Kuroko, amusement written over every crinkle of his eye smile.

"What was that about?" Kuroko frowns.

"No clue," Kagami says, breathless through silent laughter. _Liar._ "No clue at all."

"Come on, not you too," Kuroko whines. He can take Akashi keeping secrets - the red haired boy always had something he wasn't sharing, always pushing and pulling at the same time - but Kagami tells Kuroko everything, from family troubles to that one time his swim trunks had come loose in the ocean. "Everyone's keeping secrets."

"Oh, Kuroko," Kagami says, cracking an egg onto the frying pan. It sizzles and after a few moments, Kagami flips it over perfectly with the skill of a seasoned chef, "someday you'll understand."

Scrunching up his face, Kuroko frowns.

He's always been the intuitive one, the one who notices the small details and gestures and it's never him that doesn't understand because he's always been good at reading people. People, with the exception of Akashi Seijuro.

"I don't think I will."

Kuroko wipes the sticky ketchup off the counter with the napkins Akashi had slapped down, leaving shiny stick in the wake of the ketchup that he'll have to sponge off. He's about to throw the wad of napkins away when something in the trash can catches his eye, and with closer inspection, he can see a burnt pancake with a blackened, misshapen heart in the middle.

A funny feeling overcomes Kuroko. Kagami looks over at Kuroko whose gaze is focused on the trash can, and he grins crookedly.

"Nah," Kagami says, "I think you will."

Throwing away the wad of napkins, Kuroko turns away and tries not to overthink anything.

It's only a burnt pancake.

With a heart in the middle.

A misshapen, ugly, distorted heart. but still a heart, nevertheless.

Kuroko swallows nervously and his throat feels so dry. He walks over to the sink to pour himself a cup of water. The omelette in the pan finishes cooking and Kagami slides the first plate of finished omurice over to Kuroko, wordlessly, starting on his second omelette. Kuroko looks at the plate of omurice sitting on the counter.

When Kagami asks later why Kuroko had dropped the thankfully plastic cup of water in his hand, spilling water all over his feet and the kitchen floor, Kuroko grips the mop tightly in his hand and for the first time in a long time, lies to Kagami.

Lies and says that his grip had just slipped.

Lies to pretend he wasn't thinking about a burnt pancake and how the omelette Kagami had made was yellow and fluffy and encased the rice underneath, a flawless creation, as always.

Lies that he isn't thinking about red hair and the kitchen that had been half filled with smoke this morning.


End file.
